A chance meeting can change lives
by Imagine69
Summary: AU where Queenie runs into Leta just before the incident at the French Ministry. Through Leta, Queenie finds her sister again, along with Newt and later, Jacob.
1. Queenie meets Leta

Queenie heard her before she saw her.

 _I'd better get back to Theseus._

A blur of crimson-purple rushed past. She was walking so quickly that she lost her balance on the slippery pavement and flailed about. One hand hit Queenie across the face.

'Oh, goodness me, I'm so sorry!' Leta cried. Then, remembering where she was, hastily added. 'Je suis très désolée!'

'It's quite all right,' Queenie assured her. She dragged the other woman out of the way of the swarm of Parisians in the busy street, seeking shelter in the gap between two shops.

Leta was exactly as she'd pictured, based on Newt's memories and that atrocious magazine. Beautiful, confident, but tortured by something terribly dark, buried so deep beneath the surface that Queenie almost missed it.

'Are you sure you're all right?' Her voice was so very British. It teased at the ache in her heart, and she felt a stab of guilt at how she'd treated Newt in London. And how she'd treated Jacob.

'Yes,' Queenie replied, a little breathless. 'You're Leta Lestrange.'

She hadn't meant to sound rude, only to make a statement, but perhaps it came across rather forward because Leta's brow suddenly furrowed with suspicion.

'Yes, Miss...?'

'Goldstein,' Queenie quickly supplied.

A rush of emotions flooded through Leta's face and mind. Still not great at accents, Queenie had to do most of the reading through watching Leta's eyes - she'd learnt by association how eye movements and thoughts were tightly linked.

'You're not...' Leta was frowning. This girl was blonde and didn't possess have the confident, solemn air of an Auror.

'Oh no, that's my sister,' Queenie said. 'Newt keeps a picture of her in his case? Oh, he's so sweet.'

Leta's expression cleared. 'Oh, I see. Are you here with your sister? Is Newt here? Only, Newt's assistant Bunty mentioned he'd run off to Paris and Theseus is beside himself. We're here on official business, but he'd really be much happier if he knew what Newt was up to. Oh, I'm sorry, you might not know who Theseus is-'

'I know, sweetie, don't you worry,' Queenie cut in, her heart beating rapidly. Her chest began to constrict again as she remembered how alone she was, here in Paris. Or maybe she wasn't alone now. 'I haven't been able to find her, any of them.' She blinked back tears angrily as she continued. 'I heard Newt and Jacob passing by some time ago, but lost track of them in the rain.'

Leta faltered, not knowing what to do with the crying Queenie. 'You'd better come with me,' she said, figuring some decisive action would be best. 'We'll find Theseus, and he'll know what to do.'

Theseus was a little shocked, but pleased, to meet Queenie.

'Brilliant,' he said. 'If we find Tina, we find Newt. The Ministry thinks he's here on Dumbledore's orders but Newt doesn't follow orders. He's definitely here for the girl whose picture he keeps in the case.'

Queenie wished Theseus' British accent wasn't so strong. His thoughts were distant and she wasn't actively trying to pry, but what he projected was such a foreign mish mash that he was giving her a headache. The strongest feelings were mostly to do with Newt - love, concern, frustration. And there was something else, something he felt towards Leta - warm and glowing. She'd seen that before, when Tina thought about Newt (which was all the time), when Newt thought about Tina, when Jacob thought about her.

No, that thought was too painful. Better focus on the present.

'Darling, I don't know that finding them will be so easy,' Leta was saying. 'We're supposed to be on a mission.'

Theseus had his hands on his fiancee's shoulders, running them up and down her arms. 'You're not on the raid. You'll have to fetch Newt with Miss Goldstein here. Follow the chaos and you should find them pretty quickly.' Theseus half-grinned.

'Be careful. Promise me you'll be careful.'

Theseus sighed. 'I promise.'

Queenie stepped away as they kissed, sensing the moment was private, sacred.

Finally, they pulled away from each other and Theseus went running off to join his team. Leta watched him go, a strange expression set on her features, but she soon shook it off and turned to Queenie.

'Look, I know you're desperate to find your sister, but there's something I need to do first.'

And suddenly, the floodgates had opened and Queenie was staring deep into Leta's soul. People had always been easiest to read when they were hurting. The darkness was overwhelming - it was a wonder Leta could stand under the burden of it all. But Queenie kept her face impassive.

'Sure, sweetie. I've never seen the records department before.'

'How did you..? Never mind, let's go.'

Queenie heard them even before Pickett gave the game away. Or rather, she heard Tina, and suddenly she wanted to collapse on the floor and drink in the comfort of her sister's mind. Her sister's tortured, beautiful mind. Oh good, they'd sorted out that magazine nonsense. Salamander eyes? How adorable! Of course Tina would find that romantic. Clinging on to the back of the record shelves? Even better.

'Circumrota.'

'Queenie!' Tina's exclamation was so loud that any awkward greeting exchanged by Newt and Leta was utterly drowned out.

Tina leapt from the shelves, nimbly landing next to Queenie and enveloping her in a tight hug. 'I was so worried, ever since Jacob told me you'd come to Paris alone. Goodness, what were you thinking? What if I'd never found you? Queenie, I'm so sorry, I should never have come between you and Jacob!' Tina's murmurs into Queenie's ears were becoming less and less intelligible as her tears took over, her throat to constricted to speak clearly.

By the time the sisters released each other a little, though still holding hands, Queenie's vision was also obstructed with tears. 'I'm sorry too-'

But she didn't have time to finish her sentence. They were interrupted by the appearance of the a creepy old lady surrounded by vicious cats with giant eyes, baring their teeth with a menacing hiss.

Leta didn't hear Newt's hurried explanation about matagots. She reacted instinctively.

'Stupefy'

'UNLESS YOU ATTACK THEM!'

Leta had a quick moment to look a little sheepish. 'Oops.'

The three girls clambered back onto the shelves next to Newt and they spun away.


	2. Inside the Case

'Quick, get in,' Newt commanded, and the girls practically fell into the case. Newt followed closely behind them, dropping the lid shut above him as he flew down the ladder. 'Wait here.'

'What on earth...' Leta murmured as Newt picked up a toy with a bell on a stick and ran off into the enclosure.

Tina stood to the side with a strange smile upon her face, her eyes wide and adoring as she watched Newt's quickly disappearing figure.

'He's getting the Zouwu,' Queenie said, trying to figure out what was going on through her sister's thoughts (which would have been a lot easier if Tina stopped admiring Newt's intelligence, looks and skills for just one second and focused on the situation at hand). 'It's going to get us out of the ministry.'

Sure enough, Newt came charging back on the back of the fierce Chinese beast. Part-dragon, part-lion, it tore through Newt's cabin and up the ladder in an instant. Queenie dragged Leta and her lovestruck sister out of the way just in time.

'Where do you think we're going?' Leta asked. As she calmed down from the chase with the matagots, a rush of fear was beginning to work its way through her veins. The records had been moved. The truth about Corvus...

Tina had regathered her thoughts enough to shift back into Auror-mode. Logical, clinical, focused. 'The Lestrange tomb at Pere Lachaise,' she said. 'Grindelwald's calling a rally. That's where Credence will be.'

Leta nodded. 'You want to find him. To save him.'

Tina hesitated. She knew the British Ministry sought to destroy him.

Sensing her concerns, Leta quickly added, 'It's all right, I don't want an innocent boy killed, whatever the Ministry says. I'll help you.'

Tina's eyes widened for a moment, but then her features became hard again. 'Okay,' she said. 'You're an Auror. But Queenie stays here in the case, where it's safe.'

This drew a cry of protest from her sister, who had been gauging the conversation with interest. Unlike Tina, she knew Leta had a deeper agenda than helping to save Credence. Leta's internal conflict was rife; she was battling not only Grindelwald but also her own past.

'I'm not a child, Teenie! We're established this - I can look after myself. Besides, I have to find Jacob. He's here, I can see it in your thoughts!'

'Don't read my mind,' Tina muttered, more out of habit than anything else. She continued in a softer, gentler tone, 'I can't risk losing you, Queenie. Not again.'

'I'm coming.' Her tone left no room for argument.

Tina sighed. 'Fine, but the moment you find Jacob, you get yourselves out of there. Grindelwald won't have apparition barriers in place. Take Jacob and go to the safe house - I know you can see the location in my mind. I'll find you there. Promise me.'

'And leave the rest of you? Not in a million years.' Queenie mouth was set in a familiar pout, the expression she'd worn in defiance of her sister, even since she was a child refusing to go to bed.

'Queenie...'

The sisters were poised for a rather heated argument, but Leta decided she'd better cut in. 'We should get out,' she said, motioning towards the ladder.

Leta went out first, an helped Queenie out behind her. Tina grabbed the Zouwu's toy as she left and clambered out after them. Emerging into the dark evening, she smiled as she watched the Zouwu wrap its front leg around Newt in a playful hug.

 _Mercy Lewis, he's so adorable with his creatures. Truly in his element. Look at that beautiful smile._

Queenie grinned, and Tina caught her expression in her peripheral vision. 'Don't read my mind,' she muttered, before stepping over the case and giving the toy a shake.

The tinkle of the bell immediately caught the Zouwu's attention. The huge beast released Newt and bounded towards the case. Tina dropped the toy and the Zouwu flew after it. The lid of the case closed with a click.

'Brilliant,' said Newt. 'Good to see you, Queenie. Where's Leta?'

They all glanced around. Leta had disappeared into the tomb.


	3. Leta's tale

They found Leta engaged in a rather emotional conversation with Credence and a tall, dark-skinned man. Yusuf, Queenie realised as she took in the situation, Leta's half-brother. Leta's, Yusuf's and Credence's thoughts invaded the room like a strong smell, heavy with pain and misunderstanding. Leta was in tears as she knelt down with the records and told her tale, Yusuf blazing with desperation, Credence burning with longing.

It was all so overwhelming; Queenie could barely focus on anything else. Newt and Tina were quiet beside her - she barely noticed them. There were two others in the room too, their thoughts nudging the periphery of her consciousness. One was a young girl, dressed in blue and hovering next to Credence protectively, but Queenie paid her little attention.

Jacob's thoughts were loud - not quite as loud as Leta's - but sufficiently loud. Queenie honed in on his sweet sweet voice.

 _Queenie...she looks like she's been through the mill. Good, she's found her sister. Oh, Queenie...I should never had said those things. She's on the other side of the room - Yusuf's still holding his wand threateningly. Better not move, someone might get hurt. That someone might be Queenie..._

Queenie's eyes brimmed with unshed tears as she listened to his thoughts. He was right. They couldn't move towards one another, or even talk to one another. Leta's story was sacred. She was finally freeing herself from years of guilt, for something she didn't even mean to do. No one could interrupt now. Queenie hastily wiped away her tears, which were flowing all the more quickly as all the emotion in the room washed over her.

 _Oh no, she's crying. Why is she crying? Oh! Leta's story - of course, she can hear Leta's thoughts. And Yusuf and Credence. Sweet heavens, that must hurt! Oh yeah, she can hear my thoughts too. I've missed it, crazy as that is. Not that I think you're crazy, Queenie, you know that. I swear I'm never letting go of her again. We'll move to London, or Australia, or somewhere. Must remember to ask Tina about the laws. Got to keep her safe._

Queenie was openly crying now. Despite being entranced by Leta's tale, Tina had been keeping a close eye on her sister. She reached out to grab Queenie's hand. Queenie didn't turn to look, but she squeezed her sister's hand gently in gratitude. It felt good not to be alone anymore.

The image of Corvus Lestrange withered away. A delicate flower twisted around the foot of Corvus' branch. Leta stood, her burden shed, her soul opened to all the world.

'It wasn't your fault,' Newt tried to reassure her.

Leta sighed, and faced him with the hint of a sad smile. 'You're too good, Newt. You never met a monster you couldn't love.'

'Did you know, Leta?' Tina asked gently. 'When you swapped them? Do you know who Credence is?'

Leta shook her head sadly. _I'm sorry, Credence. I'm so sorry_.

It was moments like these that Queenie really thought of her gift as a curse. Normally, when someone was hurting, Queenie could read them and see so deeply inside them that she could figure out how to make them feel better. They say Pukwudgie favours Healers and maybe it was true, because Queenie had a natural talent for Healing - not Healing of the body, but Healing of the soul.

But sometimes, rarely, Queenie looked into a person and saw a pain so deep and so complex that she could say nothing to make it better. That no one could say anything to make it better. This was one of those times.

'I'm sorry, Leta,' she whispered. But Leta, caught up in the emotional aftermath of her confession, didn't hear.

But Tina did. Still holding Queenie's hand, she squeezed it gently. _It's okay, Queenie_ , she thought, knowing Queenie could hear her, _you don't have to take care of everyone._


	4. Grindelwald's rally

Leta found Theseus briefing the other Aurors in the corridor. The rally was already going on inside - the others were already part of the crowd. Credence and Queenie went out of curiosity. Nagini and Jacob followed, with Newt and Tina close behind. Yusuf tagged along because he had nothing better to do.

'Theseus!' She ran up to him just as he finished briefing. He turned, surprised, and despite being annoyed at her sudden appearance at a potentially dangerous scene, he couldn't help the smile touching the corners of his mouth. Even in the dimness of the cemetery she had a certain glow about her. So beautiful.

'Leta, darling, you shouldn't be here!' Theseus admonished her, but drew her into his arms all the same. There was something off about her embrace. She was shaking a little, somewhat unsteady. 'Leta, what's happened?"

His voice was so gentle, laced with so much concern, that she almost burst into tears then are there. She swallowed resolutely. 'I'll tell you later.' She reached up and kissed him gently. 'I couldn't let you come here alone. It's surely a trap.'

Theseus sighed. 'Dumbledore said as much. I've given strict orders not to attack the civilians.' He reached up with one hand and tucked Leta's hair behind her ear, making the motion slow and deliberate so as to admire the way she relaxed at his touch. Then a thought occurred to him. 'What happened to the Goldstein girl?'

'Queenie! Oh, she went into the rally with Credence. Tina and Jacob - that's Queenie's...gentleman friend - they went after her. Newt's there too.'

'Bugger,' said Theseus. Why was his younger brother always where the trouble was? He came to decision.

'Okay, I'll get them out. But now, you need to get yourself out of here. You're a Lestrange - he'll be after you.'

Something flared up inside Leta, angry and despairing at the same time. But it was more a reflex than anything, a habitual reaction to any mention of her last name. It died down quickly, and Leta felt ashamed it had even arisen. Theseus didn't mean anything by it. He had never judged her for her family, and even now only cared for her safety.

'I can't leave you.' Her voice came out surprisingly brittle, as if it would shatter at the slightest touch.

'You have to,' Theseus said firmly. He decided he'd better play his trump card, 'I can't keep myself or anyone safe if I'm worrying about you.'

'I can take care of myself!'

'I know, darling, but I'll still worry, and you know it.'

Leta sighed. 'Okay, but I'm going to find Newt first.'

She was trying to compromise. Theseus never won an argument when Leta compromised.

'Fine,' he said. 'But be careful, and as soon as you find him, get _out_.'

He kissed her again, briefly, desperately, then took off to join his team.

Leta watched him go, feeling a peculiar sense of deja vu. Then she disappeared into the shadow to find a way into the crowds.

'Queenie...'

Jacob didn't need to finish the sentence for Queenie to know what he was thinking. _It's getting awfully crowded in here...a little scary...what if they found out what I am?_

Queenie squeezed his arm gently, trying to reassure him. She was awfully confused herself. Grindelwald had been so convincing, his words so sweet. They're build a new world, where wizards and witches could be free to live in the light. No more skulking in the shadows, free to perform magic and live and love. Being free to love, that's all she ever wanted.

But Jacob seemed to think Grindelwald was a dangerous madman. Why, Jacob was afraid of him. Afraid for his life. And that made Queenie uncomfortable.

As for Tina, who was currently trying to find a path through the crowd to get to Credence, Grindelwald had said that Aurors were often close-minded and shackled by the status quo. After all, it was their job to protect the current laws. And at the time, Queenie had thought he'd had a point - Tina had been so focused on her mission that she'd couldn't even be found by her own sister. But now, knowing that Tina hadn't meant to leave her alone and vulnerable, knowing she'd support her happiness no matter what, even if it meant moving to England with Jacob...well, Tina was her sister. Queenie knew Tina better than anyone, knew her mind like her very own, whereas Grindelwald had put up a brick wall of Occlumency and instead enticed her with honeyed words. No, Queenie would be the judge on what sort of Auror Tina was ('middle-head' was the term in Newt's mind - Queenie made a mental note to ask him what it meant).

No, Grindelwald had almost fooled her. Almost, but not quite. When she was all alone and stranded in Paris, he might well have succeeded. But having found Tina and Jacob again, feeling their love for her emanate through their thoughts, Queenie was stronger than she'd been a long time. She could see things clearly now.

She grasped Jacob's hand a little tighter, wanting to apparate him away. He was right - this place was dangerous for a No-Maj. But the crowd pressed around them and Grindelwald was doing some sort of display with a skull. She couldn't suddenly apparate away, not without drawing unwanted attention that might bring danger to Tina and Newt and Credence and Nagini and the British Aurors that she knew were in the room too.

 _Oh Jacob, I want to get out of here too. I'm sorry for bringing you. I wish you could read my mind._

But Jacob looked into her eyes, and seemed to understand her anyway. _Let's get away the first chance we get_ , he thought.

Queenie nodded at him, and he knew she'd heard.

The Aurors had barely reached the bottom of the steps before chaos broke out.

'No!' Theseus cried, but it was too late. At any rate, no one could hear him over the uproar that broke out. That idiot had fired at an innocent girl. Against orders. Exactly what Dumbledore warned against.

Grindelwald bent over the girl, the perfect image of a kind leader grieving over his faithful follower. He had a way of moving the crowds - their eyes followed him, watching his every move.

No one was watching the Niffler's every move. Nifflers were sneaky, quiet and light-fingered. They had evolved to become the perfect thief. Leta only noticed this one because she'd had practice - Newt had once lost track of a whole bunch of them during their fourth year at Hogwarts, and had enlisted her help to retrieve them. _Clever little thing_ , she thought, as the tiny creature crept away into the shadows, the tail end of a gold chain disappearing into its pouch.

Leta turned her attention back to the rally. Grindelwald had called for his people to go forth and spread the word. The Aurors were the enemies here. Just as Dumbledore had warned, Grindelwald had played the crowds expertly and turned them against the authority figures. And they'd walked straight into the trap.

Blue flames appeared in a circle around Grindelwald's stage and his closest followers were crossing the flames to join him. Leta saw Tina across the amphitheatre, trying to see a path to Credence. Credence himself was engaged in a conversation with Nagini. Leta couldn't hear them, but Nagini seemed to be pleading with Credence not to go.

Newt had found his way to his brother's side. The two of them surveyed the situation, wands raised, trying to see a way out that did not involve the destruction of Paris.

Queenie and Jacob had gone - Queenie must have taken Jacob side-along as soon as the mass exodus began. _Good, at least they'll be safe_.

The blue flames were beginning to reach out towards those still remaining in the amphitheatre. Credence crossed the flames, even though Nagini was still crying his name. Grindelwald embraced him, surrounded by flames, and he vanished.

The flames were attacking more fiercely now. Newt and Theseus were fighting furiously, side-by-side. Tina, some distance away, was holding her own. _She's quite remarkable_ , Leta found herself thinking, _okay, time to get out there_.

Leta emerged from behind her hiding place behind the pillar.

'Grindelwald'

Her voice rang clear and loud. The acoustics of this amphitheatre weren't too bad.

'NO! Leta!' Theseus cried, as he doubled his efforts against the flames.

The smile on Grindelwald's face was cold but genuine, if such a thing could be said of someone's smile. _Lestrange. What. A. Prize_. He reached his hand out, and she took it. Her mind was calm now - the turmoil of her past had come to the light. And now it was time to save the two people in the world who had loved her despite her inner darkness.

Her hand slipped. Grindelwald's smile faltered a little, confused.

Leta turned towards the Scamander brothers, slowly, deliberately. 'I love you.'

If she had spoken in French, she would have said 'Je vous aime.' Using the plural version of the pronoun 'you'. For she loved them both - Newt as her first and closest friend, Theseus as the man she had trusted with all her heart. He'd never broken that trust, and now he would never have the chance.

But the Scamander brothers spoke terrible French, so she stuck with English.

And with that, ignoring Theseus' agonising screams and Newt's grunts of effort as he held his brother back, Leta whipped out her wand and began to fight the most powerful wizard in France.


	5. Fighting the flames

Jacob hadn't liked the Portkey in the slightest. He liked Apparating even less.

Queenie rubbed his back soothingly as he threw up in Flamel's kitchen sink. She vanished the mess and helped Jacob into a chair.

Jacob opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn't find the words. He wanted to tell her that he loved her, that he was sorry they'd fought, that he wished he could do more to fight Grindelwald, that he hoped with all his might that veryone was okay, that he was so so grateful she'd come back to him. That he could just about faint with relief that she was safe.

'I love you,' he said instead.

It didn't matter though, because she'd heard it all anyway, and her eyes were filling up with tears again as she kissed him gently on the lips and pushed his hair away from his eyes.

 _For the love of donuts, was he doomed to always make this woman cry?_

Queenie gave a watery chuckle as she caught his last thought, and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She took a deep breath before she spoke. 'Jacob, sweetie, I have to go back there. They're all in danger and I can help, you understand? I love you.'

'Wait, no, Queenie -'

But she had already Disapparated.

Jacob slumped back in his chair. 'I want to be a wizard,' he muttered out loud.

Someone was screaming. Loud, desperate screams that almost repelled the flames out of sheer force. They tore at his throat as if he'd swallowed a Hippogriff and it was clawing its way back out of his mouth.

Oh.

He was the one screaming.

But Theseus couldn't stop himself. Leta was fighting Grindelwald, brave, determined and perfectly calm, but she was losing, which meant she was _dying_.

'Leta!' He cried again, but the flames were almost upon him and it was all he could do to fend them off from. Beside him, Newt was putting all his strength into fighting the flames, but he could barely hold his ground against their unyielding fury.

Across the flames, Theseus could just glimpse Leta and Grindelwald, their wands locked. Leta was going to die, and he was helpless to stop it. 'LETA!'

Something pink and yellow suddenly appeared beside Leta. Theseus was so surprised, that he stopped fighting the flames for a brief moment, before his Auror training caught on and he quickly beat back the new fiery fingers that stretched towards himself and his brother.

Grindelwald was also taken aback for a brief moment, and Leta seemed to recover somewhat. But even though she was not the slightest bit distracted by the blonde-haired witch that had just appeared behind her, she was still terribly outmatched against Grindelwald.

That is, until she disappeared with a loud 'CRACK'.

Grindelwald stopped in his tracks for a moment, utterly bemused. But then he gave a cry of white-hot fury and the flames turned into monsters, plummeting towards them all like battering rams, glowing and blazing, utterly merciless.

Newt grabbed his shocked brother and Apparated them out of the amphitheatre into the cemetery outside. Tina joined them a moment later, and they fought off the flames side by side.

'It's going to destroy Paris!' Tina cried.

They continued the fend off the flames, retreating as they went. Somewhere along the way, they found Yusuf, also fending off the flames, keeping a terrified Nagini protected behind him.

Their retreat took them to a stone circle on a hill, where they found none other than Nicholas Flamel, directly Queenie and Leta to positions several metres away.

'Leta!'

'Queenie!'

But there was no time for sighs of relief. 'Quickly, in a circle around me, wands in the earth!' The old alchemist had a surprisingly loud command voice that rung out clear into the night, above the roar of the angry flames down below.

Those with wands hurried into position. Nagini found refuge at the base of stone pillar and watched, helpless.

'FINITE!' Newt and Theseus raised their wands high into the air and struck them into the earth, mustering their energy to produce the strongest enchantments they had ever cast.

Not far from them, Leta raised her wand to. Her incantation was delivered in a whisper, but the spell was as strong as the Scamander brothers' combined.

Elsewhere in the circle, the Goldstein sister did the same, side by side, casting the spell with a rare power that they could not have achieved alone.

Yusuf and Nicholas Flamel completed the circle, their voices adding to the collective cry of 'Finite!', their wands united in the mission to protect Paris.

And then, all of a sudden, it was over, and everyone was crying.

Theseus held out his two arms, grabbing his brother in one and his fiancee in the other. He held them tightly, never wanting to let go again.

Tina wrapped her arms tightly around her little sister. Both of them were shaking form a mix of exertion and sheer relief.

 _You were right in front of him, you could have been killed! Never do that to me again_.

'I'm fine, Tina,' Queenie replied into Tina's shoulder. 'We're both all right.'

Tina finally released her sister and held her at arms length, as if inspecting for injuries. Seemingly satisfied, she finally let go.

Newt came up behind her, having wriggled out of his brother's embrace and leaving Theseus and Leta still entangled in each other's arms. He touched Tina gently on the shoulder to turn her around. His eyes darted over her carefully, checking for injuries just as she'd done with Queenie.

'Thank Merlin,' he said, his voice so soft it was barely more than a whisper.

Tina's throat was constricted; she couldn't speak. She let Newt pull her towards his chest and sank blissfully into his arms.

They soon pulled apart, however, because a tiny black creature was limping towards them. Tina spotted him first, over Newt's shoulder. She gently extricated herself from his grip and turned his attention to the Niffler.

Bending down, Newt quickly lifted the tiny creature into his arms. He was injured and would need tending as soon as he could get into his case.

A small vial on a chain fell into Newt's palm. Inside, two red beads of liquid encircled each other as if dancing. Newt shrugged. 'Dumbledore will know what to do,' he mumbled, more to himself than anyone else.

Newt tucked the object and the Niffler into his coat, and turned his attention back to the gathering of humans. While he was preoccupied with the Niffler, Queenie had begged Nicholas Flamel to let them all seek shelter at his place. Jacob would be worried sick, she insisted, all alone in an alchemist's lair. She needn't have begged - Flamel was going to insist anyway. Besides, they would have to figure out what to do with Nagini, who had been crying quietly from her perch near the stone pillar, Yusuf sitting beside her awkwardly, not knowing how to comfort her.

'Okay then,' Newt agreed when he heard the plan. 'Let's go.'


	6. Post-battle: Queenie and Jacob

Jacob was baking.

Flamel might not have kept food in the house, but he had a working kitchen and the kindly baker down the street had taken one look at Jacob's face as he asked to buy some flour, sugar and butter in broken French, and allowed him to take what he needed from the storeroom.

Now, Jacob was kneading the dough. Press, fold, turn. Press, fold turn. He was making Mooncalf pastries. Queenie loved Mooncalves.

No.

He was not going to think about Queenie right now. Or Newt. Or Tina. He was going to finish baking these pastries with only the recipe in his mind, and then they were all going to show up with annoying wizard suddenness, and be perfectly uninjured and unharmed.

Back to the kneading. Press, fold, turn. Sprinkle some extra flour. Press, fold, turn. Press, fold - CRACK!

Jacob jumped. The dough that was supposed to be the Mooncalf's left eye went flying into the air and crashing into Flamel's grandfather clock.

Jacob had barely turned around before he was knocked backwards by a flurry of pink.

'QUEENIE! Thank heavens!' Jacob cried. He pulled her away from him and drank in the sight of her. Her eyes, wide and deep, her smile, soft and sweet, her hands, gentle and reassuring. The relief seemed to fill him up like a tank of water, rushing up from his feet to his head. It was so overwhelming, so much so that he said whispered once again 'Queenie...', and promptly fainted.

'Jacob!' Queenie cried, as Newt and Theseus hurried forward to catch him. Queenie stumbled, her legs weak, and Tina rushed forward to support her.

'He'll be all right,' said Newt. 'Just a little shocked.'

Queenie nodded, despite the fact that she knew Newt was assessing Jacob's health from the perspective of a Magizoologist rather than a Healer.

'Queenie...' a weak voice rose form the couch.

'See, he's fine already.'

Queenie rushed to his side. 'You scared me, honey.'

Jacob's eyebrows rose despite himself. ' _I_ scared _you?'_ He didn't know why he was suddenly so angry. Newt as checking his pulse; Jacob shook off the Magizoologist's hand impatiently and leapt to his feet. 'I scared you? You dropped me hear and went tearing off to fight the madman, leaving me with absolutely no clue what was going on, and you say I scared YOU?'

'She saved Leta's life,' Theseus said quietly, but Jacob paid him no heed.

 _'_ I know, I know,' Queenie said quickly, her eyes swimming with tears. 'I'm sorry, Jacob.'

And with that, Jacob was defused. _It's all right_. Jacob sighed. _I know why you had to go._ He thought back to this days in the war, when difficult decisions were an everyday occurrence. The truth about difficult decisions was that they weren't decisions at all - they were just difficult situations; most of the tie there was no choice. And Queenie had made a difficult decision by going back to Pere Lachaise.

'Oh, sweetie, I'm so glad you understand. Not glad that you had to go through all that in the war, honey, only that you understand me now.'

Queenie and Jacob were gazing so intently into each other's eyes that the other seven adults in the room were made to feel rather superfluous.

'Come on,' said Tina, directly the lot of them to go into the next room. 'Those one-sided conversations can last for ages, believe me. Let's discuss the plan out here.'


	7. Back to England: Leta and Theseus

After the debacle that was the Auror raid on Grindelwald's rally, the Ministry didn't want to send anyone else into France, not even to deliver a Portkey. And so it was that three wizards, four witches (including one Maledictus) and one Muggle found themselves on a ferry across the English channel.

Leta had been very quiet ever since the events at Pere Lachaise. She stood alone now, on the deck at the rear of the ship, leaning against the rail and watching the white foamy wake flow out from behind the ferry as it sliced through the water. A set of familiar footsteps approached her from behind, but she didn't turn.

'Leta.'

After a moment's hesitation, Theseus set his hands on Leta's shoulders. He swallowed a breath of relief when she didn't flinch away from him.

'Talk to me, darling.'

There was a long silence while they both stared out towards the quickly-disappearing coast of France. It was near evening, and a golden light began to reach into the water, creating streaks and flashes of colour.

'You're the only one who doesn't know,' Leta finally said.

'Know what, darling.' His voice was still so gentle, so full of love. She drank it in, memorising its shape and its texture. He might never speak to her like that again after he heard her story.

Finally, Leta turned around and look up at him. His face was so innocent, full of expectation, tinged with a touch of concern, saturated with love. 'Before the rally, we found Yusuf, Credence and Nagini in the Lestrange tomb,' Leta began.

Theseus nodded. He knew this bit. He wasn't such a terrible Auror that he hadn't noticed Yusuf and Nagini join their merry crew.

'Yusuf thought Credence was Corvus, like you said. But I knew he wasn't, because my brother is dead,' Leta continued. Theseus nodded again. He knew this bit too.

Leta took a deep breath. 'I knew Corvus was dead because...because I killed him.'

To Leta's relief, Theseus barely reacted at all. He merely tightened his grip on her forearms and kept listening.

The whole story came pouring out faster than she could have expected. It flowed from her lips as if it had a mind of its own. The words tumbled out and found their way to Theseus' heart, yet all the time he simply watched and listened. His hold on her was gentle, as if he were cradling a precious piece of china.

And when it was over, Theseus merely kissed her and said. 'Thank you for telling me.' He wiped the tears from her cheeks and drew her near to him, so that she was resting her head on his chest.

After a moment - a long moment - Leta pulled back and looked Theseus in the eye. 'Tell me the truth, Theseus. Do you hate me for what I've done.'

'Hate you?' His response was loud, and he sounded a little hurt. 'You didn't mean to. It wasn't your fault. I feel nothing but compassion for what happened to you on that ship.'

The relief at his words was overwhelming, but Leta pushed it aside because she sensed something else in his tone. 'But...?' she prompted.

'But, as for what happened at Pere Lachaise, Leta, what the devil were you thinking! You could have died! And then where would I be? Didn't you hear me calling your name?'

Leta swallowed and averted her gaze for a moment. She had, in fact, heard Theseus calling her name. Screaming would be more accurate. It had torn at her heartstrings like there was no tomorrow.

'I thought...I thought it was better. I would be dying to save better people. And if I were dead...' She trailed off. Dying was a coward's escape. But it had been so tempting.

'No.' Theseus spoke in his Head Auror voice. It was an order, a command, with no room for argument. 'Leta, you are worth more than you'll ever know.' His voice cracked as he continued, 'Never do that to me again.'

Leta opened her mouth to reply but her words got stuck in her throat. She let out a single sob, and buried her face in Theseus' shoulder. Theseus wrapped his arms around her, grateful that she couldn't see his face, or the tears that were steadily making their way down his cheeks and into her hair.


	8. A midnight chat: Queenie and Theseus

'Miss Goldstein.'

Queenie spun around so quickly that the coffee in her hand went crashing to the floor. Oh well, Newt's English coffee was terrible anyway.

Theseus pulled out his wand. 'Reparo.' The broken pieces of the mug flew back together again. 'Evanesco.' The spilt coffee vanished.

It was the middle of the night, but Queenie had been unable to sleep. They'd arrived in England late in the day, and the Scamander brothers had decided that they'd better wait until the next day to visit Hogwarts. So, Newt had found space in his enchanted basement for everyone, even Theseus and Leta, because Theseus said 'I'm not leaving my little brother without supervision.' Newt had protested that Tina was an Auror and could be the supervision, not to mention everyone else who was staying with him, but Theseus recognised no authority but his own.

Queenie knew better though. Any of them could easily have died in that amphitheatre and Theseus was having nightmares of alternately losing Leta and Newt.

It's not as if Queenie was faring much better. She'd woken with a start, when the dream version of herself had walked straight through the flames and joined Credence on Grindelwald's side of the war. Shaken, she'd clambered upstairs and tried to fix herself a strong drink. So caught up in her thoughts that she didn't hear Theseus come up behind her.

'M-Mr Scamander.'

'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to alarm you,' Theseus said. He took in Queenie's messy hair and bloodshot eyes. 'Couldn't sleep?'

Queenie shrugged. She didn't exactly want to share the contents of her recent nightmare with the Head Auror of the British Ministry of Magic.

'Me neither,' Theseus muttered.

Theseus was even harder to read than Newt, even though she knew he was hurting. It wasn't just the accent either, though that didn't help. Theseus must have been a trained Occlumens, and even now with his guard down, his instincts were keeping up a barrier. It must be exhausting, whether or not he realised it.

'Listen, Miss Goldstein -'

'Queenie.'

'Yes, Queenie,' Theseus smiled a little as he said her name. 'I wanted to thank you. For saving Leta. I can't begin to thank you enough, but she means the world to me. You were so brave, and if you hadn't -' He didn't want to voice that possibility. _Leta's fine. Because of Queenie. Leta's fine_.

'It's all right,' Queenie said. She smiled a little too. Theseus subconscious Occlumency didn't extend to thoughts about Leta, it seemed. When he thought about Leta, his mind was wide open, pouring out his adoration with his fiancee. It was rather adorable. 'Anyway, Leta already thanked me. Besides, she was the one doing the fighting. All I did was Apparate here and there.'

'At any rate, Miss Go-, I mean, Queenie. Thank you.'

There was so much sincerity in his voice that Queenie nearly started crying again - she must break that habit; it was getting rather taxing on her tear ducts. 'You're welcome. Theseus.'

Seemingly satisfied with this response, Theseus changed the subject. 'Now, Newt said that you and Jacob might be looking to immigrate.'

Queenie nodded. 'Jacob's a No-Maj, you see, and in America...'

'Yes, Yes Rappaport's ridiculous law,' Theseus nodded. 'Would you like me to arrange your immigration papers?'

Queenie's eyes widened. She hadn't really thought about the logistics, only realising that it was typically a long and complicated process. After the battle, Jacob had assured her that he wanted to go through with it. But they'd both expected years of living in hiding before they could immigrate legally. But Theseus was Head Auror, and if he were to arrange it...

'You'd do that? Really?'

Theseus almost laughed at the way her face lit up like a child on Christmas morning. He suddenly saw the youth in her eyes. Queenie was really very young.

'Yes, Queenie,' said Theseus. 'I owe you infinitely more than a Ministry favour, and beside, if Newt ever gets his act together with your sister, you and I could be family one day.'

For once in her life, Queenie was speechless. 'Why, yes, that would be wonderful!'

Theseus nodded importantly. 'I will arrange it then. And one more thing. Your sister.'

'Tina? What about Tina?'

'She's an exceptional Auror.'

Queenie grinned. 'Yes, she is.'

'I want her to work for me. MACUSA's going to fight to hold on to her, but if you might talk to her, give her a prod in the right direction...'

Queenie's smile widened. It felt good to smile. 'Of course, Theseus, leave it to me.'

'Excellent,' said Theseus. 'Well then, goodnight, Queenie.'

And with this farewell, he retreated back down to Newt's basement, leaving Queenie in a much happier state than he'd found her.


	9. What is a Runespoor?: Queenie and Newt

'Newt? Jacob says dinner's ready in fifteen minutes.'

'Just a moment, Queenie.' Newt was changing the Niffler's bandages and didn't want the little beast squirming away before he was done. He finished wrapping the fresh bandages around the injured paw and secured them with a quick wave of his wand. 'There you go, little one. All done.' The Niffler bounded away at surprising speed on just three paws.

'Sorry, Queenie, just finishing up with Niffler.' He stood up, brushing off the dirt on his trousers as he turned to greet her.

Newt hadn't really spoken to Queenie since their less-than-friendly conversation in his apartment before she went to Paris. She seemed different now, without that innocent air of youth. She'd also lost a little of her bubbly personality, and a serious spell had engulfed her every word and every movement. She also looked tired.

'Are you all right, Queenie? You look a little tired.'

Queenie sighed. This seemed a little out of character; the old Queenie would have brushed off his concern with a cheery 'of course, honey'. But Queenie replied solemnly, 'I'm fine, Newt, no need to worry.' She seemed to realise her sombre demeanour was concerning him, and added. 'After all, worrying means you suffer twice, doesn't it, honey?'

Newt perked up at this familiar phrase. 'Jacob told you that?'

Queenie nodded. Something flickered behind those wide, swirling eyes.

'Queenie, I meant to apologise,' Newt said. Each of his words tumbled out quickly, but with a long pause in between. 'I shouldn't have been so abrupt about Jacob's enchantment. I hurt you. I'm sorry.'

'Oh.' Queenie looked a little taken aback. She hadn't seen that coming; she couldn't read Newt very well. 'It's quite all right. You were right to call me out. And besides, you were hurting - that's why I heard what you were thinking. That really was a rather horrid magazine.'

'Right.'

In the silence that followed, Newt and Queenie stood before each other, their thoughts tumbling around them in a chaotic mess.

Surprisingly, it was Newt who broke the silence. 'Speaking of the magazine, Queenie, I wanted to ask. What can you tell me about Achilles Tolliver? The Auror.'

'Oh, honey, you haven't asked Tina?'

Newt shifted uncomfortably. 'I haven't gotten around to it.' Then he added hastily, 'But I did tell her I wasn't engaged to Leta.'

Queenie smiled. 'She would have figured that out anyway, as soon as she saw Leta and Theseus. Newt, you should ask her about Achilles. Just ask her. Don't be afraid.'

Newt took a moment to absorb her words, then nodded in agreement. 'Okay. Thank you, Queenie.'

'No problem, honey,' she replied cheerfully, sounding much more like her younger, carefree self. Then her expression darkened slightly. 'But if you hurt her again, Newt, I will make sure you regret it.'

Newt gulped. Queenie was a powerful witch even under normal circumstances; he didn't want to see what she could do if she was angry.

Queenie reverted back to a light, whimsical tone. 'But you won't, so you needn't worry. You Brits are really hard to read at the best of times. But the exception is that people are always easiest to read when they're hurting...or in love. And you really do love Tina very loudly, Newt.'

'Oh, I'm sorry,' he said.

Queenie laughed out loud at this. 'You Brits do apologise an awful lot. Come on, Jacob's made the most wonderful stew for dinner.'

Newt followed Tina towards his shack to climb up the ladder for dinner in the apartment. On the way, however, Queenie suddenly stopped. 'I forgot! I volunteered to come down to fetch you for dinner because I wanted to ask you a question.'

Newt had indeed wondered why Queenie had come to fetch him, when normally Jacob would just stick his head in the case and yell at him.

'What's the question, Queenie?'

Queenie looked thoughtful for a moment, and a little confused. 'What's a runespoor?'

Newt's eyebrows shot sky-high. Queenie had never shown much interest in Magizoology before. 'The runespoor is a three-headed snake, native to the African country of Burkina Faso. The left head is the planner, the middle head is the visionary and the right head is the critic.'

'I see.' A look a dawning comprehension was appearing on Queenie's face. It was Newt's turn to be confused.

'Why do you ask?'

Queenie shrugged. 'So when you said Teenie had gone 'middle-head', that was a compliment.'

'Oh,' Newt could feel his cheeks turning beetroot. 'Yes, I suppose it is.'

A sly smile appeared on Queenie's face. 'Brilliant. I was wondering why she was so enamoured by the expression. That and the salamander eyes thing. This is going to be fun.'

Later that night, Tina endured no less than ninety minutes' worth of Queenie's teasing. She must have a word with Newt about less amusing compliments.


	10. A conversation between Jacob and Tina

'Tina, could you light the fire again please?'

'Incendio.' Tina was helping Jacob cook in Newt's apartment. Most of the cooking was still done the No-Maj way, but Jacob appreciated a few magical shortcuts. Queenie would normally help him, but she was with Newt in his case, experimenting with Legilimency on his creatures, so Tina had offered to fill in for her sister.

'Thanks.' Jacob placed a saucepan on the freshly-lit stove and dropped in a dollop of butter. He stirred it as he waited for it to melt. 'By the way,' he said in a conversational tone. 'How're you doing, Tina? After the shenanigans in Paris and everything?'

'Oh.' Tina was surprised by the sudden serious shift in conversation. Their previous exchanges had all revolved around fire, carrots and curdled milk. 'I'm fine, Jacob, thanks for asking.'

Jacob scrutinised her carefully. 'If you say so,' he said finally, in a tone that clearly indicated that he didn't believe her. 'You spoken to Newt then? He didn't mention anything about no salamanders now, did he?'

This brought a smile to Tina's face. 'He- He said my eyes are like fire in dark water. That he's only ever seen it in salamanders.'

'Oh, he really said it!' Jacob was half-amused, half-exasperated. Tina looked confused, so Jacob explained, 'He asked me for tips on what to say when he found you.'

This got Tina's attention. Newt had asked Jacob for advice? He'd planned what to say to her? That would mean he was thinking about her...but surely not in the way she was thinking about him. Newt hadn't left Tina's thoughts for a single day of the last year.

Jacob chuckled at Tina's gobsmacked but hopeful expression. 'He's quite besotted, as the British say. Soon as he heard you were in Paris, he was off with a shot.'

Tina shook herself out of her reverie. Pining was not going to anyone any good. She decided her best move would be to strike back. 'I hear you did the same for my sister.'

'Yeah.' Jacob's eyes were suddenly dreamy, and a bunch of chopped carrots flew out of the pan when he tried to drop them in. Tina Summoned back the stray pieces, but Jacob didn't seem to notice. 'Mind you, you Goldsteins ain't easy to find. Queenie had me running all over Paris then dumped me at Flamel's while she went running back into battle. It's worth it though, she's quite extraordinary.'

Tina felt her conscience jab at her heart. 'You're a good man, Jacob,' she said. 'I'm sorry about the way I treated the two of you in New York. You must understand - I just didn't want Queenie to get hurt.'

Jacob was already waving aside her apology. 'You and me both, Tina. But Queenie said Theseus is gonna help arrange for us to settle here, in England.'

'He is?' Tina's eyes widened.

'Uh huh. He's trying to recruit you too, you know. Wants you on his Auror team here in England.' Jacob winked as he continued, 'Where Newt happens to live.'

Tina felt the tell-tale signs of a warm glow in her cheeks. She turned away from Jacob to hide her face and began to set the table with her wand, ignoring Jacob's amused chuckles behind her.


	11. A conversation between Newt and Tina

'Engorgio.'

Tina was helping Newt prepare a new enclosure in his basement. He was taking a couple of Hippogriffs from his mother's estate, and they needed a large space with sufficient forest, mountain and lake habitat. The forest habitat involved a lot of tall trees, hence a lot of Engorgement Charms on saplings that Newt had acquired from the Bowtruckle habitat.

'Tina, can I ask you something?' Newt's voice caught her by surprise. They had been working in such a peaceful silence that Newt's interruption almost seemed intrusive. But his voice was so melodic that it made her heart sing to hear it, so she didn't mind the intrusion at all.

'Yes, go on.'

'Queenie told me about Achilles Tolliver.'

Oh. Tina sighed. She'd known this conversation had to happen. 'Well, I read that magazine, the one Queenie showed you. I was...a little upset, and Queenie heard everything. She encouraged me to move on, so I agreed to go out with Achilles a few times. But it ended when I left for Paris.'

'Right.' Newt levitated a sapling into its place in the ground. 'Engorgio.'

'Newt, I've been meaning to ask you something too,' Tina said.

'What is it?'

'Why did you go to Paris?'

At least it was an easy question. 'Well, to find you. I found the postcard you sent Queenie. Jacob wanted to find her, so he came with me.'

Something tightened in Tina's chest and she felt her throat constrict a little, as if she was going to cry. She took a deep breath, and was pleased to find that the feeling subsided. 'You had a travel ban - Theseus told me. You broke the law. I thought Dumbledore had asked you.' Tina was surprised at how soft her voice had become.

'Dumbledore did ask me. Accio.' Newt Summoned another sapling as he spoke. 'But I know better than to do whatever Dumbledore says. Well, until I realised you were in Paris.'

Tina nodded. She didn't trust herself to speak without bursting into tears. She'd suspected as much when she'd asked the question, based on what Jacob had told her, but she wanted to be sure. Getting her heart broken once was painful enough; Tina was determined to be more careful this time around.

Luckily, Newt was distracted by a stray Bowtruckle on the sapling he was trying to plant for the Hoppogriff enclosure. 'Absolutely not,' he chided the creature. 'Look, this is just a sapling and you've got a whole selection of full-grown wand tree in your own home.'

The Bowtruckle blew a raspberry at him. Newt sighed and stood up. 'I'm just going to drop this little fellow back where he belongs.'

Tina nodded again, only half turning towards him so she could compose herself. By Morrigan, what had he done to her? Sure, he came to Paris to find her, but what did that mean? Was he wanting to join her in the search for Credence? Or to explain the magazine article? Or because he lo-

'Bugger!' Newt's yelp interrupted her thoughts. 'Tina! Can you come hear for a minute?'

Tina leapt to her feet and dashed into the Bowtruckle enclosure. Newt seemed to be balancing on a tall branch of one of the wand trees, whilst a cheeky Bowtruckle on a lower branch played with his wand. Tina had to fight hard not to laugh.

'They tricked me,' he said sheepishly. 'Can you...?'

'Accio!' Tina Summoned Newt's wand from the Bowtruckle's fingers and tossed it up towards him. Newt caught it and levitated himself down from the tree.

'Thanks.'

Tina chuckled. 'Any time.'


	12. Midnight awakening: Tina and Queenie

_She looked back at Jacob. His face was a picture of helplessness. 'No, Queenie...'_

 _The blue flames danced in front of her. She took a deep breath and ran through them._

 _She screamed._

 _The pain was intense, travelling up her limbs and tearing at her heart. But she crossed the flames and there he was, arm outstretch._

 _She reached out to take his hand._

Queenie woke up with gasp. Her eyes squinted in the darkness - she was in Newt's spare bedroom. Tina was right there in the next bed, lying on her side with her back facing Queenie.

Slowly, Queenie pushed herself up into a sitting position and leant back against the wall, her pillow damp on her back. Wiping her eyes with her sleeve, she reached for her wand on the bedside table, where it lay next to an empty glass.

'Aguamenti,' she whispered.

The cool water seemed to soothe her throat, which felt raw and inflamed, as if she'd actually been screaming. She guessed that she hadn't though, because Tina was still asleep. She took another sip and waited for her heart rate to slow down.

Or so she thought.

'Queenie?' Still heavy with sleep, Tina's voice was lower than usual, but still soft and kind.

'I'm sorry I woke you, Teenie, go back to sleep.' Queenie tried to speak quickly, so the words would make it out before her throat closed up, but Tina wasn't fooled. She was out of bed in an instant, nudging Queenie to make room so she could sit beside her.

Queenie didn't look at her sister. 'It's nothing, it was just a dream.'

 _You don't fool me, Queenie_.

'Tell me about it?'

Queenie sighed and finally dared to look up at Tina. The concern beneath her eyes - salamander eyes, as Newt called them - was so intense that Queenie almost had to look away. The shame welled up inside her like a Zouwu. How could she tell Tina about her nightmare? Sweet, kind, fiercely loving Tina who would surely be shocked into despair if she knew her sister might have joined the enemy.

As Queenie hesitated, she saw something else in Tina's mind. Her sister hadn't been blissfully dreaming of Newt, as she'd assumed. Tina had gone back to the amphitheatre too. Just like her own nightmare, Tina had dreamt of Queenie running towards Grindelwald, leaving Tina alone and screaming Queenie's name as she battled the flames with her wand. The dream went on - Leta had died, Theseus had run forwards for revenge and Newt had followed. The Scamander brothers had been killed.

'Oh, Teenie, I didn't know!' Queenie cried, and Tina averted her gaze. Her next thought stabbed another dagger into Queenie's heart. 'That wasn't the first time? Oh, I'm sorry.'

Queenie was crying again, and Tina wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed tightly. 'It's quite all right, Queenie. I wake up and find you next to me, and I'm perfectly fine.'

'You never told me. I never saw it. You tried to hide it.' This last statement carried a mild tone of accusation.

'I didn't want you to see it!' Tina said defensively. 'Besides, I've been talking with Newt. He always makes me feel better,' she admitted.

Queenie almost smiled.

'But I'm no Legilimens. You'll have to tell me about yours.' Tina prodded with the gentlest touch.

'It was...it was the same. I went through the flames. They hurt. And then I wake up. It's always just after I go into the flames.' Her voice shook but Tina understood her anyway.

'Always? More than once?'

Queenie nodded. 'I tried not to wake you.'

 _Oh, Queenie_.

'You're here now. With us. That's what matters.' _If only I could make it all better_. _I never want to lose you_. Tina didn't really know what else to say. Instead, she just held onto her sister tighter.


	13. The Ministry: Leta and Tina

Tina gazed at the endless halls of pink and green gradient tiles. Turning her head towards the ceiling, she took in the endless floors leading up to a huge dome. Here and there, house elves hurried about with their cleaning gear and various devices whizzed around, vacuuming the carpet and polishing the door handles. The Brits sure knew how to put on a show of grandeur. Still, MACUSA's soaring chambers would surely turn Leta's head if the situation were reversed.

'Come on, Travers said he'll meet us with your contract upstairs.' Leta tugged Tina away from the massive fountain towards the lifts.

It was a few hours' into the morning and most Ministry employees were already in their offices, so the Atrium and corridors were quite deserted. Theseus was already upstairs with Travers, finalising Tina's paperwork, so he'd sent Leta to escort Tina up to the office.

The two witches entered the lift and grabbed onto the handholds. The lift whisked them away, first backwards, then sideways.

'So..you and Newt, huh?' Leta's smile was sly as she glanced sideways at the American Auror.

Tina resisted the temptation to squirm uncomfortably under her gaze. She was here for work, and she was going to be a confident and capable Auror. Not a lovestruck teenager.

Luckily for her, Leta decided to show her some mercy. 'He's completely besotted. I think you two are absolutely adorable.'

Tina looked up, a little surprised. 'You giving your blessing?'

Leta chuckled and nodded.

The lift jolted to a halt and the doors opened. The girls stepped out into a corridor lined with green tiles. An owl swooped over their heads, so low that they both ducked instinctively as the bird zoomed into the now-empty lift.

'You know, you have nothing to worry about at all,' Leta continued. 'That magazine was utter rubbish.'

'You know about that, then?' Tina was following closely beside Leta as they walked down the corridor, but still unable to meet her eyes for more than a split-second.

Leta smiled. 'Theseus told me. Speaking of Theseus, you will be at the wedding, won't you? We need someone to take care of Newt, remind him that he's best man.'

'Oh,' Tina was surprised, 'Sure, of course.' A niggling thought began to crawl up the back of her mind - why hadn't Newt asked her?

Leta seemed to sense this. 'Don't worry, Newt's been in denial, that'll be why he hasn't asked you. I'm telling you though, he's completely besotted. You know he cut out your picture from the newspaper and stuck it in his case so he can see your smile every day. He's been refusing to come to dinner with Theseus and me. He says it's the creatures, but I can tell it's more. He hasn't gone a day without thinking of you, not to mention driving Theseus mad with trying to get his travel ban revoked.'

Everything that Leta was saying seemed to flow into Tina's brain at an achingly slow speed. But the gears gradually clicked into place, and suddenly, Tina was feeling much warmer towards the her new colleague.

'Besides,' Leta added with a smirk. 'He's never compared anyone else's eyes to a salamander.'

Tina's eyes flew wide. 'Does everyone know about that?' she asked, a little exasperated.

Leta grinned but said nothing. She gestured to a door a few metres ahead of them. 'Come on then. Time to join the British Ministry.'


	14. Dinner with Leta and Theseus

'Come on, Newt, we'll be late!' Tina called from the top of the stairs.

Newt flicked the lock on a freshly-mended Nifflers' cage and jogged to the stairs, wiping his oil-smeared hands on a tea towel.

'Tina, I really don't see the rush. It's not like Theseus expects us to be on time,' he complained as he climbed the stairs two at a time. 'Besides-'

The rest of that sentence never made it out of his mouth. He looked up as he neared the top of the stairs and his breath was snatched from his lips. Tina was standing there, dressed in a delicate blue gown and her hair neatly curled to frame her face. Her salamander eyes glared at him impatiently, her arms crossed and her foot tapping.

'Tina, you look truly splendid,' Newt said, oblivious to her irritation.

This softened her up a bit. 'Queenie,' she said in way of explanation for her attire. But she still sent a disapproving glare to his stained shirt and oily hands. 'Get cleaned up, Newt. They're waiting for us.'

Newt sighed and cleaned himself up with a wave of his wand. He looked up at Tina, who, satisfied, nodded approval and dragged him by the wrist into the living room where they Disapparated together.

'Newt, how lovely to finally have you over for dinner,' Leta exclaimed, somewhat sardonically, as she ushered them inside. 'Thanks for bringing him, Tina.'

'You're welcome,' Tina replied graciously. 'Though believe me, it wasn't easy.'

Theseus emerged to greet them, wearing an apron covered in ash. He must have burnt something – probably potato judging by the starchy streaks among the ash. Still, the lack of the scent of smoke indicated that he'd at least cleared most of the damage.

'Newt!' Theseus gathered his reluctant brother into a hug. 'Good to finally have you here. Oh – my apologies.'

Theseus had smeared Newt with soot. He reached for his wand to clean it off, but Tina got there first.

'Scourgify,' Tina's wand darted lightly through the air as she removed the ash from Newt's front.

'Thank you, Tina,' Newt said, with a pointed look at his brother. Theseus shrugged innocently, hiding an amused smile.

'Let's eat,' Leta suggested, and they all found their seats at the table.

Burnt potato aside, Theseus' cooking was more than satisfactory. He served a golden roasted chicken, a decadent sweet potato salad, a beautiful savoury pudding and side dishes of buttered peas, sugared carrots and seared eggplant. Even though Theseus was the one wearing the apron and doing the serving, Newt suspected that Leta had helped significantly. The last time he checked, Theseus was still incapable of boiling a potato without having it explode in a shower of starchy snowflakes.

'This is delicious, Theseus,' said Tina, in between mouthfuls of toad-in-the-hole.

'You are most kind,' Theseus replied. 'I hear Newt enjoyed quite the meal at your place when you arrested him in New York.'

Newt immediately turned red, but he busied himself with stabbing his buttered peas. Leta glanced sideways at him, hiding a smile.

'My sister's the real cook in the family,' Tina said. 'I just set the table and clean up afterwards.'

Tina's modesty drew Newt out of hiding. 'Well, actually Tina's really quite talented. She just focuses on things other than cooking,' Newt said earnestly.

Leta and Theseus exchanged an amused glance. It was Tina's turn to blush.

'Not nearly as talented as Newt. His book's really taken the market by storm,' Tina said, with equal enthusiasm.

Theseus decided to rescue the conversation, which was at dire risk of turning into a evening of alternate praise for Tina and Newt.

'Well,' he said. 'Who'd have thought, my kid brother and my best Auror. Anyway, we need to talk about your speech at the wedding, Newt.'

The change of topic was masterful. Newt was immediately distracted from choosing appropriate compliments to say about Tina, and suddenly horrified. 'No, Theseus, absolutely not. You can't possible expect-'

'Newt.' It was Leta this time. 'Please, Newt, you're the best man.' And her eyes, deep and dark and brown, looked straight into his. Newt faltered in his avid refusals.

'Leta, you know it's not that I don't wish you all the best, because I do. The two of you are very important to me. But I don't do speeches…'

'I'll help you,' Tina piped up.

Newt looked up at her, surprised. 'I'm sorry, what…?' He was so surprised that he dropped his fork on his plate. A few peas fell off and landed in his lap. He ignored them.

'I'll help you prepare it. You know, write it and rehearse it. That is, if you want me to.'

Newt stared at Tina with a mix of wonder, terror and admiration. Mostly admiration. Opposite him, Theseus stared at Tina with appraisal.

Leta didn't stare. She flashed a grateful smile at Tina and said, 'Well, it's settled then. Newt, Tina will help you with your speech. You'll give it at the wedding.'

'Yes,' Theseus said, shaking off his surprise. A cheeky grin crept across his features. 'You'll get to spend more time with Tina, Newt. You should be thanking me.'

Newt and Tina simultaneously turned bright red. Leta took pity.

'Anyone for dessert?'


	15. Jacob reads Newt's speech

Jacob put down the parchment and eyed Newt carefully. 'Tina hasn't seen this yet, has she?'

Newt, one hand still holding up his Murtlap, shrugged. 'No, not yet. Theseus has given her so much work that she hasn't had time.'

'Thank mercy,' Jacob muttered under his breath. While Newt walked back to the Murtlap's enclosure to release the creature, Jacob scanned over Newt's draft speech again. He took a deep breath. He had his work cut out for him.

'So what do you think?' Newt asked, returning with his hands covered in slime and totally oblivious to Jacob's look of bemused apprehension. Newt cleaned his hands with a quick ' _scourgify_ '.

Jacob took a deep breath. 'Well, this here's good about Leta's hidden heart of gold and how she's one of a kind, like a Demiguise.' Jacob paused, a thoughtful expression etched across his features. 'Though come to think of it, you might have to define Demiguise.'

'Right. Define...Demiguise...' Newt had grabbed a spare piece of parchment and a quill, and was taking notes on Jacob's advice.

Jacob was a little taken aback at the way Newt was jotting down his every word, but continued, 'Anyway, so all that's good. But then you go into three paragraphs on how Tina caught an Occamy with a teapot the first night she met a Demiguise. And don't get me wrong, I appreciate the mention of my cockroach-catching skills, but this ain't all that relevant.'

'It isn't?'

Newt's frown was saturated with innocent confusion.

'No, it ain't relevant at all,' Jacob explained patiently. 'Look, this is your brother and Leta's wedding. Leta's gonna be your sister-in-law. You gotta focus on them.'

'Oh.' Newt picked up his quill again. 'Focus...on...Theseus...and...Leta...'

'Right,' said Jacob, 'And this next bit where you recount how Theseus and Leta met is great, 'specially the bit where she hexed him for trying to get the Salamanders out of the fireplace so he could use the Floo. Yeah, that'll get a laugh. But this stuff about Tina's eyes again, Newt. Honestly, you can't be saying this stuff at Theseus' and Leta's wedding.'

'But it's only half a sentence!' Newt protested.

'Trust me, buddy. It's half a sentence too much.'

Jacob's look was so serious that Newt relented and jotted down more notes. 'Leave...out...salamander...eyes...'

'The rest looks pretty good though,' Jacob nodded approvingly at the rest of the parchment. 'Talking about how they compliment each other, Leta dumbing down Theseus' intense Auror ambitions, Theseus bringing out the softer side of Leta...all good stuff. Good job, buddy. I gotta hand it to you. It's gonna be a speech to remember.'

Newt grinned. 'Thanks, Jacob. I'd better get to writing a second draft so I can show Tina when she gets back.'

While Newt gathered his writing equipment, Jacob stood up from his seat, stretched his cramped shoulders a little and made to head back up the stairs. 'Happy to help, buddy,' he said. Then, under his breath, he murmured with a slight smile. 'If nothing else, it'll hold the record for most magical beasts mentioned at a wedding speech.'

Leaving Newt to edit out the excess 'Tina' in his speech, Jacob found himself creeping back to the kitchen where Queenie was cooking some sort of stew. It oozed with the delicious scent of nutmeg and thyme. Jacob's mouth began to water.

'Oh, hey, honey, how was Newt's speech?' Queenie turned to him with that radiant smile that still made him weak in the knees. He tried to focus on Newt's speech.

'Oh, that bad, huh?' said Queenie with a sly smile. 'Pity Tina didn't get to read his first draft.'

'Whose first draft?' Tina had traipsed into the kitchen, soaked to the skin and dripping water all over the tiles.

'Hey Tina,' Jacob said cheerfully, even though it was apparent from her bedraggled appearance that 'cheerful' was far from the appropriate mood. 'I didn't here you Apparraparate?'

'Apparate, honey,' Queenie corrected him absently, too distracted by Tina's whirlwind thoughts to pay much attention to Jacob's vocabulary.

Tina whisked out her wand and dried herself off, but distinct tracks of liquid remained on her cheeks. Tear tracks. 'I walked back,' she said in answer to Jacob's question.

'Oh, Teenie,' Queenie said softly, with a sad sigh. She gave her sister a brief hug and sat her down at the kitchen table, Summoning a mug into her hands and filling it with fresh cocoa.

Jacob sat down opposite Tina as she dazedly raised the mug to her lips. Queenie had turned back to her stew, but her face was flooded with concern and her mind carefully tuned in to her sister's emotions.

'Bad day at work, huh?' Jacob said gently.

Tina sighed, setting down the steaming mug. 'Five No-Maj children. We couldn't save them. Didn't even capture the scoundrels. All in broad daylight. The Obliviators were run off their feet.' Tears began to prick at her eyes again, and she raised the mug, letting the steam wash over her face in an attempt to hide them.

Feeling utterly helpless, Jacob said the only thing he could think of. 'Come, Tina, why don't I take you down to the basement. I'm sure Newt could do with your company.'

Tina hesitated. 'I don't want him to worry.'

'Don't, Teen, he cares for you. Besides, he ain't no fool. He pays so much attention he'll know right away you're upset,' Queenie chimed in. 'Go see him, Teen.'

'Come on, I'll take you.' Jacob motioned for her to go ahead of him down the stairs.

But just as they turned to go, a loud CRACK from the living room made all three of them jump. They hurried into the living room, Tina and Queenie already raising their wands suspiciously.

It was Theseus. Dressed in a dark trench coat and even more soaked to the skin than Tina was when she arrived, Theseus was clearly distraught. His eyes were darting wildly as he looked around, evidently trying to find Newt. His hands trembled a little as he returned his wand to his sleeve.

'Newt's just coming up now,' Queenie answered Theseus' unspoken question.

Sure enough, having heard Theseus Apparate, Newt had come bounding up the stairs. 'What's going on?'

Theseus' next words, his voice frail and broken, put a chill in everyone's hearts.

'Leta's missing.'


	16. Finding Leta (I)

'She hasn't been seen since the raid tonight,' Theseus' voice was trembling. 'I was so preoccupied with everything at the scene, I didn't even notice.'

Queenie, who seemed to have a neverending supply of cocoa, pressed a mug into Theseus' shaking hands. 'It ain't your fault, honey. You were just doing your job. She wouldn't have wanted you to be distracted by her presence.'

'We'll find her, Theseus,' Newt said firmly, gathering his coat. 'Tina, do you want to come?'

Tina was already halfway out the door. She rolled her eyes towards the street outside, urging them to get a move on. 'Queenie, if you hear anything, or if she makes it back, send word immediately.'

Queenie nodded solemnly. 'Be careful, you three.'

'Of course,' Newt said. Theseus was too busy wolfing down his cocoa. Tina merely nodded, knowing Queenie could hear her anyway. _You know I will. I love you_.

With that, two Aurors and one Magizoologist Disapparated, leaving Queenie and a thoroughly concerned Jacob in Newt's kitchen.

'They're gonna be okay, right?' Jacob asked anxiously. 'I mean, they're just going clue-hunting. They ain't gonna take on Grindelwald be themselves or anything.'

Queenie didn't reply straight away. She seemed rather distracted as she cleared away the mugs. Slowly, she turned towards Jacob, her wand raised absentmindedly (which meant she sent Tina's and Theseus' mugs flying around in circles above her head instead of into the sink).

'Jacob, I'm not sure they're on the right track,' Queenie said slowly. 'Teen said No-Maj children were killed - I saw them in her head. A little girl and two baby brothers. Jacob, I think I know where Leta is.'

Jacob's eyes began to widen as he caught onto what Queenie was saying. 'You mean she hasn't been kidnapped or nothing?'

'Well, she might have been, so it's good the Aurors and Newt are off checking,' Queenie said quickly. 'But there's a chance she hasn't. Oh, Jacob, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, honey, but -'

'You have to leave me behind again,' Jacob finished for her with a resigned sigh. 'At least tell me where you're going? I know Newt has his philosophy about worrying but I can't help but worry for you, sweetheart.'

His words and his accompanying thoughts stabbed deep into Queenie's heart. She dropped the mugs into the sink with a flick of her wand (they shattered; she'd fix them later). Queenie laid a hand on Jacob's cheek and gazed into his eyes, just like she'd done on that rooftop in New York so long ago. 'I know, I'm sorry. I love you.'

'I love you too, you know that.'

Queenie gave a slightly watery chuckle. 'Yes, I know. And don't worry about me, Jacob. I'm just going to Hogwarts.' Then, realising she had to be responsible like her sister, added, 'Jacob, if Leta comes back here, you need to send work to us all. You must tell Leta to send a Patronus to Theseus, and one to Dumbledore. I'll be with Dumbledore.'

'A Patronus.' Jacob repeated the word slowly, engraving it into his memory. 'Be careful, sweetheart.'

'I will.' Queenie gave him one last adoring gaze and disappeared with a crack.

Queenie knew Hogwarts from Newt. Not only did she watch him reminisce about so many memories tending beasts on the castle grounds, but Newt had actually told her so much, in an effort to persuade her than Hogwarts was indeed the best wizarding school in the world. She turned on her heel and Apparated into Hogsmeade village, then braved the cold to walk up to the castle.

Professor Albus Dumbledore was in his office. He seemed to be expecting her.

'Leta's with the Bowtruckles,' he said, when she knocked on his door.

'Oh,' Queenie said in surprise. How had the Headmaster known she was looking for Leta?

Dumbledore chuckled. 'I have my sources, Miss Goldstein, I know who you are. As for knowing you were here for Leta, well, why else would you be here? You clearly aren't enjoying the cold.'

He wasn't wrong. Queenie was shivering violently and her teeth chattered when she tried to speak. Dumbledore waved his wand, and she was suddenly hit by a pleasant warmth, as if she were standing at the optimal distance from a roaring fire.

'Th-thank you, Professor.'

'Do you know where the Bowtruckles reside?'

Queenie nodded. She'd seen very little in Dumbledore's mind, but she saw the Bowtruckles' location. She suspected that she'd only seen it because he wanted her to.

'Then you'd better go find her.'

Queenie hurried out of the castle and into the grounds. She would have liked to speak to Dumbledore more. He was truly fascinating. He'd known who she was and why she was here purely out of wisdom, not Legilimency, though he could easily have read her mind if he wanted to. Queenie should the thoughts out of her head. She was here for Leta.

She'd only approached the edge of the woods when she heard Leta. The pain was immense and seemed to grow sharper with every step as she found her way towards Leta.

Eventually, Queenie found Leta leaning against one of the wand-quality trees, a tiny green figure walking across her hands. 'I don't want to talk about it, Queenie,' she said, without turning to look.

It didn't matter. Leta was hurting so acutely that Queenie had already heard everything.

'Leta...'

Queenie found a seat in the undergrowth beside Leta. Leta didn't move away, so she figured that was a good sign. 'Leta, what happened tonight-'

'She tried to protect them!' Leta exploded all of a sudden. She'd leapt to her feet and her tear-filled eyes blazed with fury. Her sudden cry had shocked the Bowtruckle, who went scampering back up his tree. 'She stood in front of her brothers and shielded them. She loved them like a big sister should!'

Leta was trembling now. Queenie, who had hastily clambered to her feet, tried to offer her a hug but she refused. 'Don't touch me, Queenie,' she said sharply, but not harshly. 'I hurt everything I touch. I killed Corvus and pushed Credence into Grindelwald's arms.'

'No, Leta. He didn't go because of your story. It was his choice, Leta, you're not to blame.'

Leta's humourless laugh put a chill in Queenie's heart. 'You're just like Newt, Queenie. You see the good in everyone, even when there's no good to be seen.'

Leta slumped back to the ground, as if her sudden outburst had left her completely exhausted. 'Go home, Queenie,' she said softly. 'Leave me be.'

Queenie felt the wave of helplessness crash over her, pushing her down and suffocating her. This was much worse than in the Lestrange vault, where she'd wanted to comfort Leta but knew nothing would help. Leta's pain was as powerful as a galloping Thestral, her regret as venomous as one of Newt's crazy snakes.

With a desperate sigh, Queenie took one last glance at Leta's defeated figure and turned to walk back through the forest. She made sure she was out of earshot before whispering ' _Expecto Patronum_ '.


	17. Finding Leta (II)

'AARRGH!'

Theseus' yell of frustration was accompanied by his right fist smashing into a lamp post.

'Theseus, calm down, we'll find her,' Newt said, not sounding all that calm himself. They'd been searching for over an hour but found no trace of Leta. Theseus was clearly beginning to lose it; he looked like he was about to _Diffindo_ the lamp post straight out of the ground just so he could smash in on the ground.

Tina had been systematically performing _Priori Incantatem_ on all the wands confiscated at the scene. She looked up, horrified, as her Head Auror kicked angrily at the unfortunate lamp post, ignoring the blood running down from his knuckles. Tina had never seen the level-headed Theseus lose control before - it was quite unnerving.

'Theseus, please. We'll find her,' Newt repeated.

Theseus opened his mouth to scream in frustration again, but his jaw suddenly dropped as his gaze fell to something over Newt's shoulder. Newt and Tina both turned around to look.

A glimmering stallion was galloping across the sky. It slowed to a halt in front of the three of them and dipped its head in greeting.

'It's Queenie's Patronus,' Tina whispered.

The stallion spoke with Queenie's soft, gentle voice. 'I've found Leta. She's at Hogwarts with the Bowtruckles. Come quickly.'

The stallion bowed its head again, then turned and cantered away, disappearing into a stream of silver that slowly faded away.

'Right then, come on,' Newt gestured for Tina and a shocked Theseus to take his hands. They Disapparated.

Both Tina and Newt had trouble keeping up with Theseus as he charged up to the school from Hogsmeade. Eventually, huffing and panting, they crossed the school boundaries. Newt took the lead as they hurried towards the forest.

They found Queenie waiting anxiously at the edge of the trees. 'Thank goodness you're here,' she said. 'Come on, she's this way.' Queenie began to lead them into the darkness of the forest.

As they ducked through the trees, Queenie caught a glimpse Tina's thoughts. 'Don't worry, Teenie,' Queenie said. 'I never did nothing dangerous. Just had a hunch she might be at Hogwarts.'

 _Fine. But next time you send your Patronus, try not to give me a heart attack._

Queenie didn't respond. She'd caught sight of Theseus' bloody right hand and promptly stopped dead in her tracks. Newt, who had followed close behind, almost knocked her over.

'Theseus, give me your hand.'

Theseus was shifting his weight from foot to foot, impatient to get to Leta. But he looked up and saw Queenie's expression, and decided it would be quicker to do as she said. Queenie took his right hand in her left with the gentlest of touches and waved her wand across it, turning his hand carefully. Then, with a quiet ' _ferula_ ', she had dressed it neatly with clean bandages.

'Tina's an Auror, remember? I've had lots of practice patching her up.' She said, in answer to the question both Scamander brothers were asking in their heads.'Anyway, let's keep going.'

They found Leta in the clearing, exactly where she was before. Her eyes were blank and she was watching two Bowtruckles climb across her hands.

'Leta.' Theseus rushed forward and knelt in front of her. The others hung back, wanting to give them some privacy.

Leta didn't meet his gaze. She merely kept moving one hand in front of the other, watching the Bowtruckles walk across her knuckles as if they were on a treadmill.

'Leta, darling, you had me worried sick!' Theseus' voice was soft and gentle, but also surprisingly furious. His voice grew louder. 'I thought Grindelwald had captured you! I had images of you in my head, screaming, being tortured. Merlin, Leta, please, would you look at me!'

Leta finally looked up. Tear tracks glimmered on her cheeks but her eyes were void, emotionless. She moved her left hand backwards and the Bowtruckles scampered away back onto their tree.

'You shouldn't worry, Theseus,' Leta said finally, in a tone as devoid of emotion as her eyes. It was as if she had cried herself out and now she knew no joy and no sadness. She was simply defeated. 'I'm not worth it. You should go home.'

'Leta, please.' Theseus reached for her hands, but she pulled them away. 'Leta, please, don't talk like that. I love you. I can't-' He couldn't go on. His voice caught somewhere in his chest and turned into a sob.'Please, Leta.'

Something flickered beneath Leta's eyes. She reached forward timidly and examined Theseus' injured hand. Her gentle touch was enough to draw more tears from his eyes.

She looked up at him. Seeing Theseus' distress proved too much for Leta. She blinked rapidly a few times, and suddenly the pain and guilt rushed out in one go. 'I'm sorry,' she sobbed as she reached forward to cling to Theseus. 'I'm so sorry.'

Theseus couldn't speak. He held his fiancee as tightly as he could and tried to control his breathing. He needed to be strong. Leta's slight frame was shaking uncontrollably and they were in danger of falling over.

'It's all right,' he managed to choke out. 'It's all right, Leta. It's all right.'


	18. Auror training for non-Aurors

'Remind me again why we're doing this?'

Newt pushed himself up from the ground with a groan. It was fifth time now. Across the dimly-lit room, Queenie grinned and lowered her wand.

'Because we're at war,' Theseus said impatiently. 'And we all need to know how to fight. Stop complaining, Newt. Look at Leta - she's doing just fine.' Theseus seemed to grow taller as he admired his fiancee with pride.

Newt glanced to his left, where Leta was holding her own against Tina. Sparks flew between the two witches as they duelled.

'That's not fair,' Newt complained with a pout. 'Leta practically is an Auror. Besides, her partner's not a Legilimens.'

Queenie looked a little hurt. 'I don't mean to do it, honey. It's just you think so loudly when you're duelling.'

Theseus sighed loudly. 'That's my point, Newt. Stop thinking so much. Trust your instincts, Newt.'

'Fine,' Newt grumbled as he got to his feet and went to retrieve his wand. While he was at it, Theseus gave Queenie a few pointers, which she absorbed gratefully. Unlike Newt, Queenie was learning very quickly under Theseus' tutelage, not least because she could hear every little piece of criticism that floated through his mind as he assessed the pair of them.

'Again,' Theseus called. 'And...go!'

' _Expelliarmus_ '

' _Protego_ '

The Shield Charm erupted from Newt's wand with the force of an Erumpent in heat. Queenie's spell rebounded so quickly that she barely had time to dodge out of the way.

'Good, Newt, much better!' Theseus yelled.

More spells darted between them, until inevitably, Queenie deflected Newt's non-verbal Stunner and it spun around and hit him straight in the chest. Newt went flying back and landed with a thud on the other end of the room.

Queenie's hands flew to her mouth as she rushed forward to see whether he was all right. 'I'm sorry, Newt, I didn't mean to!'

Distracted, Tina momentarily glanced over to see what the commotion was. It almost lost her the duel with Leta; she only just had time to deflect a Full Body-Bind.

'I'm fine!' Newt called, rubbing a sore spot on his elbow as he stood up.

Theseus grinned and Queenie smiled with relief.

'Much better,' said Theseus. 'Much, much better. All right, I think it's time for a change.' He raised his wand and sent silver sparks into the air. Immediately, Tina and Leta stopped duelling. They lowered their wands, panting to catch their breath.

'A change of partners, I think,' Theseus announced. 'Tina and Queenie. Newt and Leta.'

This announcement drew a cry of protest from all four parties.

'I can't fight my sister!'

'Leta's going to decimate me!'

' _I'm_ meant to be training too!'

Theseus held up a hand to silence them. 'Look, all that may be true, but in a real battle, you won't get a choice about who you're fighting.' He looked meaningfully at Newt. 'It could easily be someone stronger than you, and you're going to have to find reserves of power somewhere.' Theseus' glance moved to Leta. 'Or it could be someone weaker, but you cannot lower your guard, or they will surely defeat you anyway.' He turned to the Goldstein sisters. 'Or it could be someone you know, someone you love. Many Aurors have joined Grindelwald, including your colleagues at MACUSA. And keep in mind - you may even have to duel Credence, if only to incapacitate him so we can bring him back. You _must_ keep your focus.'

Theseus looked around the group. They were nodded solemnly - the message had gotten across. 'All right then,' he said. 'Let's begin.'

All in all, it went just as they had predicted. Leta was responsible for at least two dozen new bruises for Newt, although he did manage to get in a few sneaky attacks that caught her off-balance. Tina and Queenie had a lot of trouble fighting each other. Tina was terrified of hurting her sister and duelled so defensively that Queenie barely glimpsed a curse or hex. Queenie, on the other hand, figured she might as well use this opportunity to practice her attacks, seeing as she was never going to get past Tina's defences anyway, but she stuck to the most benign spells that she knew.

'Okay, enough,' Theseus finally called. 'Switch again. Queenie, you take a break. Newt and Tina. Leta and me.'

Queenie seemed to be the only one pleased with this scenario. She could tell what Theseus had in mind, and she was glad to be out of it, at least for now. The other three was less pleased.

Theseus raised a hand to stem the protests. 'Look, we all hope it will never come to this. But the Imperius curse is a reality. Just imagine - if each of you were placed under the Imperius curse and told to kill your partner, wouldn't you want your partner to fight back as much as possible?' Theseus paused to let this sink in.

The air in the room suddenly seemed very heavy. It settled in their hearts like mustard gas, and they had to fight to stay focussed.

'We understand, Theseus,' Leta said softly, her eyes dark. She was evidently praying that Theseus would stay true to his own advice and be prepared to defeat her if she was ever turned against him. Yet somehow, she doubted he would, and this doubt flowed through her limbs and made her feel numb and helpless.

'All right then,' said Theseus. 'We're going to do this differently. No Disarming or Tickling or any sort of nonsense. Stunners only, as strong as you can manage. Fight like you mean it. Queenie, you keep watch. Let's go.'

And so they began. The truth of Theseus' wisdom flooded through their veins and they fought like they'd never fought before.

Newt and Tina were battling it out, jets of light flying between them, dodged or deflected with hasty Shield Charms. Tina was clinical, powerful - nothing got past her. Newt was haphazard, unexpected and full of surprises. They were evenly matched at the start, but Tina soon saw an opening. With tears in her eyes, she flung the sharpest Stunning Spell she could. Newt fly backwards, soaring high into the air. The flight was so dramatic that it looked as though he could break several bones upon landing.

But his landing was soft. Queenie, thinking way ahead, had conjured a Cushioning charm and was already waiting when Newt landed by the far wall, slowing down gently as if attached to a parachute.

' _Rennervate_ ,' said Queenie, her wand at Newt's chest. Newt's eyes flickered open. He caught a glimpse of Queenie's friendly smile before Tina dashed over and gently pushed his hair back from his eyes, her own eyes brimming with tears.

'It's all right, Tina,' said Newt. 'I'm fine.'

Meanwhile, across the room, Leta had finally broken through Theseus' defences and sent him flying into the air. Queenie reacted immediately, cushioning his fall and rushing over to awaken him.

But Leta got there first, and was cradling Theseus' head in her lap as she pointed her wand at his chest.

'Well done, love,' Theseus murmured.

But Leta was furious. 'You let me get through!' She stood up and walked a few paces away. Theseus sat up slowly, rubbing his head and wearing an expression of dignified confusion. 'Darling, what do you-?'

'You could have blocked it!' Leta was shouting. 'You could have, but you didn't. Because you, Theseus Scamander, are a coward.' Tears were glistening in her brown eyes. She shoved his wand back into his hand, then stood back, raising her arms to her sides. She tossed her own wand onto the ground. 'Stun me.'

'Leta, darling -'

'Do it! You said so yourself. What if they put me under Imperius? You'll have to attack me. Do it, Theseus. DO IT!'

Theseus raised his wand and looked Leta in the eye. His hand shaking, his heart pounding, he gathered his wits and yelled. 'Stupefy!'

Theseus wasn't Head Auror for nothing. His Stunner sent Leta flying backwards and crashing into the back wall, sliding to the ground with a thud, completely unconscious. Theseus was half-sobbing as he ran over to her. Unable to speak properly, he waved for Queenie to revive Leta with a gentle ' _Rennervate_ '. When Leta came to, her eyes were so full of pride and relief that Theseus could do nothing more than hold her close and sob into her shoulder, while she, still weak from the impact of the Stunning Spell, clung to the back of his shirt.

Newt had been watching the entire exchange from his perch of the stone floor, wide-eyed and flabbergasted. He was just wondering if he could do such a thing if Tina asked it of him, when his nightmare came true.

'Newt,' Tina's voice was quiet but stern. No room for argument there. 'You too.'

Mirroring Leta's actions, she pressed his wand into his hand and tossed her own to Queenie, who caught it with surprising grace. 'Go on.' Tina backed away a few paces and spread out her arms.

Newt raised his wand and, fearing he might never perform the spell if he hesitated, rushed into the spell. 'Stupefy'.

The spell hit Tina at an angle, sending her spinning furiously through the air. Unlike with Leta, Queenie reacted quickly and caught her sister with another of her Cushioning Charms.

'There, that wasn't too hard, was it,' Tina said when she woke up. Her attempt at frivolity drew the tiniest smile from Newt, which she took to be a success.

'Now, one more switch,' said Theseus. He had mostly recovered from his ordeal, though his left arm was still firmly wrapped around Leta's shoulders. 'Tina and Queenie. Newt and myself. Let's go.'


	19. Ministry Showdown: Tina vs Theseus

As suggested by Gaby (thanks for the review!), we ought to see what happens when Tina and Theseus face off in a duel.

'Okay, let's call it a day!'

Newt clambered to his feet for the twentieth time. He'd gotten better at defending himself over the last half hour or so, but he still wouldn't duel his Head Auror brother by choice.

Meanwhile, Tina and Queenie lowered their wands gratefully, both breathless but still standing. Tina had managed to Disarm her sister once, but with Queenie's Legilimency on her side, they were fairly evenly matched.

'Wait a minute, Theseus,' Leta piped up from her perch on the umpire's chair she'd conjured in the corner. 'Haven't seen you and Tina face it off yet.'

Newt's eyes lit up. This could be a good show.

Theseus and Tina exchanged a look - one of mixed exasperation and conspiracy. But it was Queenie whose face lit up into a broad smile and said slyly, 'You will, don't you worry.'

Confused, Leta looked to Newt, who evidently had even less of an idea what was going on.

'I think it's about time, actually,' Theseus said, looking at his watch. He flicked his wand at the doors and the opened with a long creak.

Suddenly, the crowds began to flood in. Led by Travers, they consisted mostly of the Auror Department but several other Ministry employees had come along too. Jordan Bagman, from the Department of Magical Games and Sports, had a tray hung in front of him and a Quick Quotes Quill floating behind him, taking bets from all the spectators.

Newt and Leta stared, completely aghast.

'Apparently you're not the only ones who want to see the amazing American Auror who duelled Grindelwald in New York face it off with Head Auror of the department,' Theseus explained with a somewhat resigned smile. 'So a match was arranged.'

Travers strode up to Theseus with his chin lifted high. 'How did the training go, Theseus?'

'Quite excellent, if I say so myself. There had been much improvement, especially Queenie.'

Queenie was positively glowing, both from the praise and the excited atmosphere in the room.

'Good, good,' Travers said with an approving nod. 'Right, then, better get to it. Oh, excellent idea, Leta.'

Leta had sprung down from her umpire's chair and landed elegantly on the ground. She was gesturing for Travers to use it for the upcoming event.

' _Sonorus._ ' Travers pointed his wand at his throat. 'Settle down, everyone, and find somewhere to sit along the sides of the room.'

The excited clamour gradually faded out and the crowds found their seats. Wizards and witches who couldn't find chairs were conjuring themselves seats of all descriptions, from tiny wooden stools to four-person hammocks. Once they made themselves comfortable, Travers had Tina and Theseus take their positions.

'All right, everyone. So today is the duel we've all been waiting for. On one hand, we have our very own Head Auror Theseus Scamander. Many of you have been on the receiving end of his repertoire of hexes and curses and you know his abilities.' Several Auror were nodding in avid agreement. 'And on the other hand, Porpentina Goldstein, recently joining us all the way from across the Pond. Do not be fooled by a pretty face - she duelled and assisted in the capture of Gellert Grindelwald in New York 1926. She is not a witch you want to cross.'

Travers paused for dramatic effect, then raised his voice. 'On the count of three - one, two, THREE!'

Neither Tina nor Theseus struck immediately. They stood twenty feet apart, wands raised and ready, eyes carefully assessing the other for any giveaway hint of what was to come.

Tina struck first. The suddenness of her attack was testament to her skills, for she gave not the slightest indication that might have warned Theseus. There was no tiny movement of the head, or flexing of the wrist - none of the miniscule, instinctive habits that most witches and wizards made just before they launched into a spell.

But Theseus was quick. His Shield Charm emerged so quickly from the tip of his wand that it seemed to have suddenly appeared. Tina's spell was deflected off to the side, narrowly missing one a secretary from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. The young witch leapt out of her seat in alarm as it crumbled to pieces from the force of Tina's spell.

'My apologies, Anastasia,' Travers said hastily as he waved his wand around the room, conjuring a protective barrier to keep the spectators unharmed. Anastasia vanished the remnants of her chair and conjured a new one in its place.

During this brief exchange, the duel had changed pace, and Theseus was now attacking, throwing a rapid battery of curses at Tina, who fended them off with ease.

The crowd gasped as Tina suddenly performed a trick manouevre. She pivoted on one foot and pulled out of her last Shield Charm even before it had fully expanded, keeping it in place just long enough to deflect Theseus' Bat-Bogey Hex. In the same movement, she flicked her wand backwards, to shoot a Stunning Spell at Theseus over her shoulder. As she completed a full rotation, she saw that the spell had hit home. Her surprise tactic had caught Theseus off-guard and his Shield was just a split-second too late. The Ministry's Head Auror and most accomplished law enforcer went flying backwards, bounced off the spectators' invisible barrier and landed painfully on the floor.

The crowd was silent for a moment, not having yet processed what had just happened. They had expected a long and arduous fight, most likely a victory for Theseus, who had never lost a duel against any of the current Aurors in the department. But when the shock wore off, they erupted in cheers. Bagman immediately stood up and weaved his way through the crowd, collecting on the bets that had mostly been placed in Theseus' favour.

In the middle of the room, Tina made her way to Theseus and helped him up. He stood, groaning a little, but smiling. 'Where on earth did you learn that move? You haven't used it all day!'

Tina, to her credit, merely shrugged. 'I didn't need to. No reason to show off all my secrets just for the fun of it.'

Theseus was speechless. He clapped her shoulder in congratulations and went off to find Leta to see if she could do anything about the bruises that were rapidly forming across his body.

'Well, I never.' Travers was striding towards Tina, his face twisted into a rare genuine smile. 'Good to have you on our side, Goldstein.'

'Thank you, sir.'

The Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement made to open his mouth again, but he was pushed aside by a mass of blue and brown. 'Oh, sorry, Mr Travers, sir,' Newt apologised hurriedly. He turned to Tina, 'Congratulations! I knew you had it in you! Ever since you tied Theseus up in the French Ministry. My hearty congratulations!'

Newt's enthusiastic praise meant the world to Tina. She smiled so brilliantly that Newt was sure the dim room was noticeably brighter.

'Sorry, what's this about tying up my Head Auror in France?' Travers asked, but no one paid him any attention.

Queenie was there, and jostling to hug her sister.

'Don't act surprised, Queenie. You knew what I had in mind,' Tina said, but Queenie shook her head.

'I didn't know it was going to work though!' she said brightly.

Off to the side of the room, Leta ran her wand up and down, a few inches from Theseus' body. Theseus didn't watch her wand though - he was watching Leta, the way her eyes followed her wand, the way her lips moved as she murmured the incantation. A warm glow was emanating all over him, but he wasn't sure whether that was the anti-bruising charm or simply being in Leta's presence.

'Thank you,' he said when she'd finished.

Leta grinned and punched him playfully on the shoulder. 'You're not invincible, Theseus. This'll teach you to be careful in the field.'

Theseus nodded solemnly. 'Of course. I promise.'

'Still,' she said with a conciliatory smile. 'You did put up a good fight.'


	20. Spell Damage

Newt burst out of the lift and almost ran right into Tina, who had stood up when she heard the lift doors open.

'Oh, sorry, Tina,' he said hurriedly, setting her to one side and making to push open the heavy white doors.

'Newt, don't, they won't let you-' Leta didn't get to finish her explanation before Newt leaned into the doors. They refused to budge, and instead shot out a spell that sent Newt stumbling backwards.

'Let me in,' Newt finished for her. 'But he's my brother!'

Tina reached forward and grabbed his arm. With her free hand, she took his case, and she steered him into a seat in the corridor, opposite Leta and Queenie.

'They said they need complete isolation while they work on him. No extraneous magic.' Leta explained. Her eyes were dry, but Newt could see tear tracks running down the sides of her face. 'They let Jacob in though, so Theseus'll have at least one familiar face.'

Newt nodded. He swallowed and took a few deep breaths, feeling his heart rate gradually slow down to a gallop. 'And is he-'

'The Healers think he's going to be fine,' Leta said. Her right hand fingered the engagement ring on her left, her eyes watching the light glint off the metal. _He has to be fine_ , she thought to herself.

'Good,' said Newt. 'That's good.' He noticed Tina was still holding his case uncertainly, so he took it from her and placed it beneath his chair.. He pulled Tina into the seat beside him, his eyes darting over her. 'Tina, are you hurt at all? What happened?'

Tina had been stoic and composed up until now. She'd managed to get Theseus, raving and delirious, out of the fight and into St Mungo's, and sent her Patronus in turn to Newt, Leta and Queenie. She'd briefed each of them as they showed up, including Jacob, whom Queenie had brought with her. But now, finally, the concern in Newt's eyes began to tear down the walls that she'd put up. Tears were threatening to spill from the corners of her eyes; she looked down at her hands, which were folded in her lap, so Newt wouldn't notice.

He did notice, of course. As did Queenie, who had heard every thought since her arrival.

'I'm not hurt, Newt.' Newt's eyes stopped wandering, and fixed on Tina's still-downcast eyes. Tina continued, 'I was duelling Rosier and just about holding it together, but she was strong. Theseus came to help me and-' She paused, hesitant. 'And the curse hit him. She would've aimed it at me if he hadn't come to aid me. It was Dark magic, and powerful, but he kept it together long enough to fire back. I finished her off and Apparated him here.'

'Tina, it's not your fault.' Newt, Queenie and Leta spoke all at the same almost smiled at each other.

'You got him here, Tina, and I'll be forever grateful for that,' Newt said. Sudden burst of courage shot through his arms, and he reached forward to take her hands in his. 'Truly.'

A spark of electricity seemed to jolt between their fingers at the contact, but Newt suddenly drew his hands away and stood up. Tina, a little shocked, turned to see what was going on.

Jacob had come out of the ward, and was beckoning them all in. 'They've stabilised him. He's still a bit out of it, but we can see him.'

Leta was already inside and kneeling at Theseus' bedside before Jacob had finished speaking. She was crying again, pressing kisses into his palm.

Theseus bore no physical marks, but he was clearly unwell. He appeared to asleep, but entrapped within the throes of some horrifying nightmare. Beads of sweat gleamed on his forehead, which Leta gently wiped away with a flannel. He was throwing his head from side to side, muttering beneath his breath, and his hands shook beneath Leta's touch.

Newt took a seat on the other side of Theseus' bed. He kept his hands folded neatly in his lap, and merely watched, helpless. Tina, Queenie and Jacob stood at the foot of the bed, also watching.

After some time, it became clear that Theseus' muttering was the repetition of a few phrase. 'Leta...' 'No, Leta, don't!' 'Leta, please'

Deciphering this, Tina looked at Queenie, a question in her eyes.

Queenie sighed. She had been very quiet up until now, observing and listening. With great clarity, she'd heard Leta's grief, Newt's worry, Tina's guilt, and Jacob's own beautiful heart full of empathy. But now, she was saw something even more painful in Theseus' thoughts.

'He's dreaming of that night in the graveyard,' Queenie explained quietly. She willed her own heart to stop beating so quickly, praying for her mind not to stray to her own nightmares of that night. _I'm here_ , she told herself, _I didn't join Grindelwald_. She turned to Leta, 'In his nightmare, Leta, he's watching you fight Grindelwald over and over again, and each time, well, you lose.'

Newt's eyes widen and he watched as Leta lost it completely. She reached a hand to cup Theseus' face and leaned down to kiss him, which was a tricky feat as he was still writhing about in his sleep. 'I'm here, darling. I'm right here. Please, Theseus, I'm here.' Leta continued to murmur reassurances as she leant over him, but they fell on deaf ears. Theseus was buried far too deep in his own personal hell.

Unable to watch any longer, Tina took a half-step back and fled the ward. Queenie made eye contact with Jacob and Newt in turn, who both nodded. Jacob took a seat next to Newt, laying a hand on his shoulder, while Queenie ran out after her sister, no doubt to try and offer some modicum of comfort.


	21. In the ward

Florence Pomfrey was one of the newest Healers on the ward. She'd been a junior Healer on Spell Damage for a mere 6 weeks when that American Auror showed up, levitating her delirious boss and explaining the situation with a heavy air of outward calm. Florence was one of the first on the scene, with her hair pinned by neatly behind a white cap and her apron freshly Scourgified. She'd promptly transported Head Auror Scamander to a private ward and called for her superiors to help treat the Spell Damage.

It had taken two hours, seventy-two enchantments and eighteen potions to stabilise Scamander's condition. Unfortunately, he was still in for a rough night and a long recovery. They hadn't even been able to give him Dreamless Sleep Potion because it would interact with the Memory Preservation Potion.

Being the most junior on the team, Florence had been assigned overnight care duties.

Her first task was dealing with the crowd of visitors gathered at Scamander's bedside.

'I'm sorry, but you can't stay overnight without express permission from the Matron,' Florence tried to explain.

The awkward-looking fellow in a blue suit – the brother, she was told, apparently a successful Magizoologist – didn't even glance at her. His companion, beside him, spared her a helpless expression, then went back to fiddling with the edge of Scamander's blanket.

Florence was somewhat afraid of the girl sitting on the other side of the bed. Leta Lestrange, fiancée. She'd grown up hearing stories about the Lestrange family, and none of them good. Florence almost backed away when Leta glared at her, but soon the girl's expression turned from fierceness to sadness and Florence's heart softened.

'I can't leave,' Leta said, her voice barely more than a whisper. 'Please, can't you give him something to stop the nightmares?'

Miss Lestrange was begging.

'I'm sorry,' Florence repeated, feeling utterly helpless. 'Dreamless Sleep would interfere-'

'- interfere with Memory Preservation,' the brother finished for her, finally looking up. 'She's right, Leta. There's nothing more we can do but wait.'

Leta seemed to accept this and went back to drawing circles on her fiancé's palm. Her touch was surprisingly delicate, give the incessant movement of the bed as a result of the patient's restless sleep.

None of them seemed in any hurry to leave.

Just as Florence drew breath to renew her argument, two newcomers chose this time to enter. One of them she recognised as the American Auror who'd brought the patient in. She looked completely spent, as if she was eking out her last reserves of energy. Her companion must have been her sister – despite the differences in hair colour and fashion sense, they had the same kindness behind their tired eyes.

'Oh, you're the Healer. I'm Queenie,' said the Auror's sister. She paused for a moment, then turned to everyone else. 'She needs us to leave, everyone. Come, let's go home. There's nothing more we can do for him now.'

The man sitting next to the brother stood up and seemed to slip into a familiar place by Queenie's side. No one else moved.

Florence drew breath again to talk, but Queenie beat her to it. 'Don't be silly, Newt, he'd want you to get some rest. Come, you can help me take Tina home.'

This seemed to get a response out of Newt, who squeezed his brother's hand one last time, picked up his brown leather case and stood up.

'Not you too, Tina,' Queenie admonished her sister. 'We've just had this conversation. No one blames you, least of all Theseus. You ain't gonna be any good to the Auror department if you don't get some rest now.'

Queenie turned to Leta. Florence knew – and she suspected Queenie did as well – that no amount of persuasion was going to move Leta from her seat.

'You coming, Leta?' Queenie asked.

Leta shook her head.

Queenie sighed but knew defeat when she saw it. 'Send word if there's any change, will you?'

'Of course,' Leta whispered.

The four of them departed, leaving Florence in the room with Leta and her unconscious fiancé. Leta was still drawing circles on his palm.

'I'll just be across the hall if you need me, Miss Lestrange,' Florence said, and took her leave from the room.

Florence checked on them several times throughout the night. Leta, impressively, stayed awake until the early hours of the morning.

When Newt and Tina returned the next day, they found Leta asleep in her chair, leaning forward with her head resting on her arms folded on the edge of the bed. The fitful movement of the bed had ceased, and its occupant was awake, smiling weakly as he stroked his fiancée's hair.


	22. Morning on the ward

Theseus held up a finger to his lips, beseeching Newt and Tina to keep quiet. His other hand continued to stroke Leta's hair.

He was pale and a little sweating, as if having just fought off a fever. His normally bright blue eyes were dim with exhaustion and his hand shuddered slightly each time he lifted it. But he was smiling, a look of contentment etched across his fingers.

'Thank goodness you're all right,' Newt said softly, approaching the side of his brother's bed. 'If that spell had-'

'It's all right, Newt,' Theseus whispered back. Newt's speech subsided and he look up at his brother gratefully. Words had never been Newt's area of expertise; it was a mercy that Theseus understood his relief without him having to express it verbally.

Tina came up beside Newt. 'Theseus, I'm so sorry I didn't-'

'Don't even think about it,' he said, softly but sternly. 'You didn't fire that curse. Besides, I believe I have you to thank for bringing me to St Mungo's. Everything's all right.'

A smile touched Newt's lips as he looked meaningfully at Tina. Theseus noticed the exchange, and guessed that Newt must said as much several times while he'd been unconscious.

'It's really all right, Tina,' Theseus repeated.

They were distracted by Leta stirring. Everyone stopped talking and looked over at her, but she simply shifted, sighed contentedly, and continued to sleep.

'She can't possibly be comfortable there,' Tina mused, then instantly regretted it as a flinch of guilt crossed Theseus' face. He found Leta's presence comforting, especially after having lived through her death so many times during the night. It must have been an unfortunate side effect of the curse.

'Perhaps we should move her...' Theseus began to suggest, but Leta stirred beneath his touch again and this time, she awoke.

'Theseus?' It took Leta a moment or two to get her bearings, but she was soon wide again and hovering over Theseus, laughing and crying all at the same time. 'Theseus, oh, thank Merlin you're all right. I was so worried. You're so pale! And cold - maybe we can get some more blankets-'

'Leta, darling, I'm all right,' Theseus gripped her hands as tightly as he could in his weakened state to stop her rambling.

'We'll go get some extra blankets,' Tina said tactfully, and dragged Newt out of the room. Theseus waved at them gratefully, but Leta didn't even notice. She was too busy running her gaze across Theseus' face, taking in every feature - his curly hair flat and wet on the pillow, his cheeks sallow against his high cheekbones, his jawline stark, his eyes tired and a little moist...Merlin, if she'd lost him...

'I'm all right, really,' Theseus repeated. 'I'm a little tired and all, but I'll be fine, Leta.' This was a stretch, because he was still far from all right, and Leta knew it. A stray tear escape the corner of her eye, and Theseus reached up to wipe it away. His hand, having removed the salty teardrop, followed her hairline down to the ear and tucked in a few stray strands. Then, exhausted, he dropped his hand down, where it landed on her.

'Thank Merlin,' Leta whispered again, and she leant down to press a kiss to Theseus' lips. It was just a peck, lasting just a moment, but right now, it felt like heaven on Earth to Theseus. Then all of a sudden, her features were stern. 'Theseus, why didn't you wake me?'

A smile drifted across his lips as he recalled that blissful memory, waking up from his worst nightmare to find the girl of his dreams sleeping in a chair by his bed. Her sleep was clearly restless, but he laid a hand on her smooth black hair and she calmed down immediately. Theseus recounted this to Leta, and her tiny burst of irritation disappeared in an instant.

'You had me worried sick,' Leta whispered. She returned to her seat in her chair, but pushed it a little closer to the bed so she could continue holding Theseus' hand and looking into his eyes.

'I know, darling, I'm sorry.'

'No, don't be. If I ever get my hands on Rosier, well.' She let out a sounds somewhere between a snarl and a scoff. 'Merlin almighty wouldn't be able to help her.'

Theseus knew Leta's temper and grinned. 'I believe that.'

They stared into each other's eyes for a little longer, perhaps a few minutes, or perhaps several hours, until they were interrupted by the Healer.

'Ah, excellent, Mr Scamander. You gave us quite the turn,' she said, bustling around the bed to fluff up his pillows. 'But it should be a smooth and steady course of recovery for now. I have explained to Miss Lestrange the potions you must take. Bedrest for a week and a further two weeks of light duties _only_ , working from home.' Theseus opened his mouth to protest, but she added sternly, 'No arguments. Miss Lestrange and I came to this agreement last night and she has agreed to enforce it.'

Theseus turned to Leta with an expression of mock horror. She have him a half-teasing, half-serious look in return.

'Excellent,' said the Healer, sensing that they understood each other. 'I'll leave you to it.'

She bustled out of the room, leaving Leta to administer Theseus' morning dose of several potions.


End file.
